I Think Therefore I'm Supernatural
by sami.60
Summary: Hannah Haggerty has an accident that lands her in a hospital, only to meet Mr. Tall Dark and Mysterious, Felix. A tale of intrigue develops and it's up to Hannah to find out why everything is suddenly so strange.  OC/Felix Rated M for chapter 9.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**This story is all coming from the POV of an as yet unkown person, Hannah Haggerty. Read and review, tell me what you think!**

Sleeping peacefully, I wasn't expecting to hear the blaring music coming from my speakers like it did. That's the only excuse I have for why I rolled out of bed (ok, so I fell...), onto the floor and my nine inch killer hunting knife that I'd bought for myself last Christmas.

Naturally the damned thing would cut me deep enough to not only hurt like hell, but to also need stitches. So I ended up making an unexpected trip to the ER. It was there that I met the sexiest man alive...sort of. That was also what caused me to be as banged up as I currently am, sitting on a street somewhere in Rio de Jainero, hoping for my godsend of a cousin to fly down here and save me.

But maybe I should tell the whole story, eh? Like I said, it all started with the unnecessary blaring of very loud Rock 'n' Roll music in my ears at 6:00am...

***FLASHBACK***

_Danger, Danger... High voltage! When we touch; when we kiss! Danger, Danger..._

"What the hell?" The unexpected noise shattered my eardrums, and I flailed my arms to get the demon from my nightmare away from me. The momentum from my sudden rush of movement, coupled with a pair of very sticky hands against my back, pushed me off the edge of my formerly comfortable bed, and onto the hard and unyielding surface of my floor.

My mother has always told me to put my clothes in the hamper when I take them off, and not to not leave things lying about 'willy nilly'. I learned the wisdom of those words for myself as my body encountered my three inch heels that I had worn on a very unsatisfying date last night. I felt a sharp jab in my back, near my shoulder, and I looked up to see my sister Sarah smiling her cutest gap toothed grin at me.

"Wakey Wakey, Hannah! School today!"

With her words I realize that the music I had heard was not the soundtrack from my nightmare, but rather the alarm on my bedside table, telling me it was time to get up and get ready for the first day of school.

Groaning I leaned back and the jab in my shoulder became a spike of white hot pain that caused me to clench my teeth.

"What's wrong, Hannah? Hannah? Hannah, you're scaring me."

Unable to catch my breath, I opened my eyes to see Sarah staring at me, horrified. "Mommy!" she screamed as she raced out the door of my bedroom. Inky blackness impaired the edges of my vision, and I panicked, thinking I was about to be claimed by death.

My mother entered the room with Sarah then, the phone to her ear talking to someone, probably her latest boyfriend, Jonny. She saw me on the floor and screamed. Normally, I would have made a sarcastic comment about her ability to be calm in complicated situations, but I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and my thoughts were becoming as hazy as my vision. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard her tell someone she'd call them back later, then she dialed someone else. I was vaguely aware of my dog, Candy, at my feet, whining pathetically.

The next thing I saw were four men in masks standing over me. When did they get there? I must have blacked out...again..because the next thing I knew, I was alone in what looked like a hospital room with one other patient snoring behind a curtain and the TV playing quietly in front of me.

I had no idea what was going on or how long I'd been asleep. I wasn't even sure at what point I'd fallen asleep. What I did know was that I still felt a significant amount of pain, though the lethargy and weakness in my limbs indicated I'd been drugged.

The door opened and interrupted my thoughts. A man entered carrying a clipboard and walked to my bedside. He was very beautiful in an ethereal sort of way. His blond hair was neatly combed with not a strand out of place. He had perfectly manicured nails and teeth, and his eyes were like liquid amber. His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and he stood with perfect posture.

"Good evening, Ms. Haggarty. How are you feeling?"

"I..." I had to cough a few times to clear my throat before I could manage more than a whisper. "I feel sore."

He nodded. "Don't worry about your voice, we've had you in an induced coma for observation for a few days now. You took a nasty fall and landed on a very sharp knife. Do you remember that?" At my affirmative nod he continued. "You had to have stitches, but I'm afraid the wound will still leave a faint scar. There's nothing we can do about that. Your medication should be wearing off so we're going to give you an IV with some Novocaine. That should help with the pain. If you need anything else, you can hit the button to your right and a nurse will come help you. You are not to leave this bed without my express permission. Do you have any questions?"

After several attempts to speak I finally managed to say, in a whisper, "Can I have some water?"

He smiled and headed to the counter where he filled a glass and helped me sit up so I could drink it.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Doctor Carlisle Cullen."

"As in Edward Cullen?"

He looked confused for a second and asked, "Edward is my son. How do you know him?"

"I don't really. I mean, we've never met. My cousin Bella Swan just married an Edward Cullen last June."

His brow cleared of the lines it had formed. "I don't remember seeing you at the wedding."

"I wasn't there. My mom and Bella's don't get along any more. I don't think they've spoken in almost ten years. Bella and I haven't spoken in that long either but we parted on good terms."

"How did you know of the wedding then?"

"I got the invite last month. It took a while before it caught up with us I suppose. We've moved a lot."

"Well I'll let her know you are here. I'm sure she'd enjoy coming to visit you. In the meantime I'm afraid I must see to my other patients, so remember what I said about the button to your-"

"Right. Got it. Thanks, Dr. Cullen."

As soon as he left I felt the drowsiness creeping back and realized I hadn't thought to ask about my mom or Sarah. Knowing my mother though, I figured she'd probably be at work, worry settled at the back of her mind, firmly cast aside for examination at a later date with a certified psychologist.

I let myself relax and the throbbing pain in my back and neck settled into a dull ache. I drifted off into sleep, and stayed there by myself, peacefully unaware that this was the first time I'd done so in three weeks.

When I awoke, it was to the sound of someone screaming obscenities. I was startled awake, I seemed to be having a lot of that lately, and looked around for the source of the disturbance. The other patient that I had noticed had awoken before me and changed the channel on the TV to ESPN if I had to guess. Apparently whichever over-paid football team he favored was not winning, because that seemed to be the source of his unhappiness.

A nurse entered the room then and calmly told the man to please be quiet and that he was disturbing the other patients. The man promptly told her in no uncertain terms that he did not give a 'rat's ass' whether the other patients were disturbed. He then went back to avidly watching the television.

This continued for several hours until the man was moved to a different room down the hall. When I asked one of the nurses where they were taking him, she smiled prettily and said, "To a room without a TV." We both laughed, though I was more careful than she was because of the insistent pain covering my back and neck like an unwelcome blanket.

The nurse handed me the remote, refilled my glass of water, and left; presumably to tend to her other duties.

I flipped through the channels for a while, but couldn't find anything remotely interesting. With no other option, I rang the nurse. She came relatively quickly, and it was a nurse I'd seen before, though not the same one who had spoken with me earlier.

"What do you need, darlin?" The woman had a definite southern twang, and it amazed me to hear her accent in West Virginia. I had not heard an accent like that since I had moved away from Georgia a few years before.

"Two questions. One, the doctor didn't tell me how to go about getting food, but he did forbid me to leave the bed. How do I…?"

She understood me easily enough and said, "You just missed lunch actually, but if you'd like I can have someone get you something from the cafeteria."

"I would really appreciate that, please."

"Alright, sugar, you said you had one more question?"

"I'm really bored just sitting here and there's nothing on TV…I was kind of hoping you could tell me how to get a deck of cards or access to the internet. Something I can do to while away the hours I have to sit here."

"I have a deck of cards, but I'm afraid you won't be able to find anyone to play with."

"I can play solitaire. And if I need to I can alternate with cartoons."

"Alright-y then…I'll go order that tray for you and be back in a jiffy."

She walked away then, and I was left with nothing but a stupid cartoon with no plot playing on the television to entertain me.

Enough time passed that I started to wonder if the nurse had gotten distracted and possibly forgotten me. I briefly considered trying to call another nurse in, but I dismissed the idea.

She did come back in, however, and she brought with her a tray, which she set on the rolling table and placed in front of me, and a deck of cards which she also placed on the table.

"Bone Appa-teet, honey."

She left me alone to eat then, and I discovered that hospital cafeteria food really is much worse than school cafeteria food.

I played so much solitaire that day that by the time Dr. Cullen came to check on me, I was winning every round I dealt myself.

"Feeling better, are we?"

"Actually my shoulder is still sore, but I guess that's pretty much unchangeable."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Where did you get the cards?"

"One of the nurses brought them in for me because I was begging for something to do. I would have offered to mop the bathroom floor if I'd thought she'd let me."

He laughed a little. "Well, would you like to try your hand playing against a real partner instead of just fate?"

"You bet I would. What do you want to play? I know speed, gin rummy, blackjack, slapjack, trash, war…? What would you care to try your luck in?"

"Hmmm…it's been awhile since I've played gin rummy. Why don't we try that?"

"Sounds good. You play with ten cards or seven?"

"I usually play with ten. Makes for more of a challenge." I dealt our cards, giving myself ten and him eleven. "So who taught you to play gin?"

"My father taught me. He never really got along with my mother; they always yelled at each other a couple times a day. He petitioned the courts for the right to see me every once in a while and they granted him partial custody. The problem was that he liked liquor, women, and sports; I liked fashion, Barbies, and kittens. So we bonded over cards. Every other weekend I'd go to his house and he'd play with me. Afterwards I'd go home and beg my mother to play, but she always refused; said she was too busy."

Playing as I spoke, I counted the cards put down. I had two options. Either go for the five of spades, or try to find the ace of hearts. The ace was already buried, so I exchanged my king for a two…just in case I did lose.

Dr. Cullen and I continued to play for another few minutes before I finally drew the five of spades. Discarding the two that I had picked up earlier, I showed him my cards.

"Well done. I don't know anyone who has beaten me except my son Edward and my daughter Alice for a very long time."

"Well, you're a tough man to beat. Another card and you would've won."

He smiled. "Well perhaps we are equally gifted."

"Care to test your theory on another game?"

"I'm afraid I have to get going, but I'll take a rain check. I spoke to Bella this morning. She's flying into town tomorrow morning."

"That's cool. Will she come see me?"

"That is why she's flying in."

"She's flying in to see me? Why?"

"Because she cares about you."

"Oh."

He chuckled at my stunned expression and headed to the door saying, "I'll see you tomorrow then. Get some sleep."

"Dr. Cullen…?"

He turned around to look at me. "Where is she flying in from, exactly?"

"Monte Carlo. She and Edward will be flying in early in the morning."

I nodded my thanks for the information and he smiled at me in return, nodded, and then turned, walking out the door.

That night I was tortured by a nightmare again.

In it, demons fly at me from all directions and I cover my eyes so that I do not have to look at them. They screech in high pitched voices that seem familiar to me.

"_Why can't you do anything right?"_

"_Why can't you stop being a lazy pig? Oh wait, I forgot…it's in your genes!"_

Their voices continue to barricade my ears, until I hear the crashing of waves over rocks and the squawking of sea gulls overhead. I uncover my eyes and look up to see Dr. Cullen standing in the sun, but something isn't quite right with him. There's something off about the way he looks, but I can't tell what.

"_I've had you in a coma for a few days, Hannah. We wanted to observe you. Nothing serious. Just rest. Everything is fine…"_ His voice fades off into the distance, and he walks past me. I turn around and yell, _"Dr. Cullen! Come back, what are you talking about?"_ But he keeps walking, and eventually he disappears over a nearby hill. I turn in exasperation and notice a young girl with chocolate eyes and auburn hair standing on the beach. I had not previously noticed her there.

"_Who are you?"_

"_Don't you remember me Hannah? We used to be best friends! It's me, Bella! I just wanted to see you one last time before you died."_

"_What are you talking about? I'm not dying. Dr. Cullen said I was going to be just fine."_

"_Dr. Cullen is lying to you Hannah! Don't you see, that's why he's being so nice. No one wants to tell a dead girl she's dying! In fact, right now…you might as well be dead!"_ She giggles and turns around to run away from me to the ocean. I run after her, but she gets farther and farther away from me. My legs keeps sinking into the sand, and I can't figure out how she's running so fast. I look down at my feet and gasp in surprise. I'm up to my shoulders in sand. Small clicking noises draw my attention and when I look up, I'm no longer on a peaceful beach, but in an arid desert. Six small scorpions crawl toward me on skinny legs as I struggle to get out of the sand. Closer and closer they come until they reach me, and I see one lift its tail, readying itself to stab me in the eye…

"Ahhhhh!"

"Shhh shhh, wake up! Wake up! It's just a dream. Nothing will harm you."

I opened my eyes to see a man standing over me, but he was no nurse. Wearing dark but expensive looking street clothes, the man hovered over me. His hands were cold, even through the sleeves of my hospital gown.

"Are you all right?" he asked me.

"Y-yes…I…I think so. You wouldn't happen to be the grim reaper, would you?"

I thought I saw a smile curve the shadows of his face as he relaxed his grip and said, "Not quite, but I am known to have a nasty temper."

I smiled in return and said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Thanks for waking me up."

"You are welcome." I noticde a faint British accent in the words coming off his tongue. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No I don't think so. I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Hannah. Hannah Haggerty."

"My name is Felix."

"Well thank you again, Felix, for waking me. That nightmare was more vivid than any I can remember having for a very long time. If there's anything I can do to repay you…"

"_Vuoi aiutare me? Che strano..._ Well, I am somewhat lost. Do you suppose you could direct me to the terminal wing? I'm looking for my father. He was admitted here a few days ago, and I only just received word today."

The words rolled off his tongue and danced around my ears like beautiful music. His voice did things to me that I had not thought possible. The Italian was intoxicating, and I wanted to hear him say something else, even though I wasn't sure what he said to me.

"Truthfully, I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure what floor I'm on."

"_La tua bocca mi incanta._ Well then, perhaps a kiss?"

"A kiss?"

"Yes, one kiss. To repay me for saving you from your bad dreams."

His request was so outrageous that I almost said yes. Then I reconsidered. We were alone in a hospital room, with the lights out. To kiss him would be asking for trouble. His mere presence was giving me danger vibes that I didn't like. He was speaking to my subconscious in a way that had me trembling; from excitement or anxiety I wasn't sure. Then I reconsidered again. It was a gamble; a huge risk. So what? I loved to gamble; I'd learned how from the best.

I nodded my head up and down, and apparently that was all the assent he needed. His lips brushed mine lightly, then harder, as if he worried for my fragility. I could have told him it was useless to treat me like some china doll. Instead I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips more firmly against his. His lips were icy, as if he'd just emerged from a frozen lake and he had yet to defrost. His tongue was even more so when he licked my lips; requesting admittance to enter. We battled in that way that lovers do, first charging then retreating, and then charging full force back into enemy territory.

As for how long it lasted, I couldn't say. When he released my lips, I sat, panting as I felt his muscles tense. His shoulders bunched and his mouth tightened. He looked extremely frightening, especially with the shadows thrown across his face like they were.

"Felix? What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

As I spoke he seemed to force himself to relax. I then noticed that he'd gripped the handles of my bed hard enough to put a slight dent in the material.

"Everything is fine, _ragazza prezioso_. Go back to sleep. This time, dream of happy things."

After he mentioned sleep, my body seemed to take that as an order that needed to be followed. "I hope you find…"_Yawn…_"your father." And with that I fell asleep, peacefully this time, all my demons scared away by Felix, the fierce.

"_Dolci sogni piccola. Avrete bisogno di loro_."

**A/N: Translations**

Vuoi auitare me? Che strano...: You want to help me? How strange...

La tua bocca mi incanta: Your lips enchant me.

Ragazza prezioso: precious girl

Dolci sogni piccola: Sweet dreams, little one.

Avrete bisogno do loro: You will need them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Read and Review!**

**Chapter 2**

The next morning I awoke slowly. My dreams had in fact been peaceful, and I woke up feeling refreshed.

A nurse wheeled in a cart with trays of food on top of it. Placing it on my table, she gave me a glass of water and left me there. I carefully pulled the tray closer to me.

Looking at the food, I felt my stomach rumble ominously. On my plate was a heaping serving of very questionable meatloaf that looked like it had been thrown in a washing machine. Sides of green Jell-O and mashed potatoes completed the lunch, and for dessert was strawberry frozen yogurt.

_Knock-knock._

"Come in."

A young woman opened the door to my room. She had long auburn hair with a heart shaped face. The woman was very thin and very pale, wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans, she looked very familiar.

"Hannah?" she asked, probably looking at me. Dark sunglasses covered her eyes so that I could not see them.

"Bella?" I asked her. Her voice sounded slightly deeper than it had ten years before, but it was still hers.

"Carlisle told me you were here. What happened to you?" As she spoke she walked forward and gave me a hug, somewhat uncomfortable because she didn't seem to know what to touch.

"My sister scared me. I fell out of bed and impaled myself on my knife. Not my finest moment."

Bella looked at me with a shocked expression and I smiled saying, "It's OK though. Dr. Cullen patched me right up. Aside from some stiffness and some really bad cafeteria food, I'm just fine. They're keeping me here, but they said I was going to be fine. I think he said something about wanting to observe me."

"I'm glad to hear that. I brought Edward with me because you didn't get to meet him at the wedding. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. He's your husband; bring him in." I smiled to let her know I meant it, and she went to the door and gestured for someone to enter. A guy walked in, smiled, and wrapped his arm around Bella's waist. His wavy copper hair looked tousled, but in a very stylish way. He had the same golden eyes as his father, and he stood at least six feet, possibly more. Well muscled, he wore the expensive-looking and well tailored clothes nicely. All in all he screamed two words to me: high maintenance.

"Nice to meet you, Hannah. My wife has told me much about you on our trip here."

His accent had traces of British in it, but not the same as Felix's. I took him for a New Englander. "Nice to meet you as well, Edward. Sorry I couldn't be at the wedding. I just got the invitation a few weeks ago."

"It shouldn't have taken that long to get too you."

"Mom and I have moved a lot lately."

Bella and I shared an understanding look. My mother had married and divorced more guys than was probably healthy, and each time she married she moved us to a new place. In the past ten years, we had moved eleven times.

They took seats in the chairs beside my bed, and Bella and I talked for an hour. We pretty much reviewed everything that had happened to us in the last ten years, exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to go out to dinner when I got out of the hospital. We discussed Monte Carlo and Forks, Phoenix and Jacksonville. I skimmed through the miserable events of my life, but Edward kept giving me strange looks. If I didn't know better I'd have thought he could read my thoughts.

Finally they left with the promise to bring me some real food the next day. The rest of the day was uneventful for me. I held my nose as I ate the meatloaf and went without the rest of the meal. Another tray was delivered later on and my original was taken away.

I played solitaire all day long, watched some sappy flicks on the TV, and convinced one of the nurses to let me have a notebook and a pencil to draw in. I was bored out of my mind with nothing to do but hope they would release me from here. Even school was beginning to sound fun compared to the static of my room.

Dr. Cullen came in at around eight o'clock that night. He again agreed to play cards with me, but this time we tried speed. He beat me badly and I coerced him into playing a few more rounds. Eventually he left me, and the nurses turned out the lights soon afterward.

That night I lay in bed, thinking of the man who had rescued me from my nightmare of the night before. His face floated in my mind and I recalled the way he had kissed me and called me _ragazza prezioso._ I knew enough Italian to translate that- he'd called me precious girl. An odd choice of words, but then he was Italian.

I fell asleep thinking of him, and just before I awoke fully the next morning, a cool _something_ drifted across my cheek. I turned into the caress and fell deeper into my sleep.

The following few days passed in a blur. Bella and Edward kept me company in the early mornings and Dr. Cullen always came to check on me before he left for the night. My dreams were either nonexistent or peaceful, and always I thought of Felix.

When I awoke after a week, I realized I had been here at least seven days, definitely more, and I had not seen my mother or sister in that entire time. My IV had been removed, and the last of the drugs must have worn off because my thoughts suddenly seemed clearer. I decided to ask a nurse. When one came in, I asked her if she knew anything and she said she had received a call that morning asking about me. It had come from a man with a very deep voice and he'd asked for me by name. I wondered who had known that I was…wait, where was I?

I had been in this room for a week, and I did not even know what floor I was on, let alone the name of the hospital. I hadn't even thought to ask. I must have been really drugged up if I hadn't used that much common sense.

But I did now know for sure that my mother had not bothered to ask for me, nor even come visit me. I wondered if she herself had been in an accident, or perhaps Sarah had, or if they had both simply…forgotten me.

I hoped that was not the case, but then again knowing _my_ mother…not entirely unfounded.

I asked if I could call someone, and the nurse brought me the phone and I dialed her number. When voicemail picked up on the second ring, I sighed, knowing she probably would not think to call me back.

I stayed in my room for another day before I finally started receiving homework for school. The work was simple, and I finished it quickly. Again left with nothing to do, I petitioned the nurse for entertainment, and she kindly brought me a romance novel. By the time Dr. Cullen came to visit me, I had finished the book.

"How are you tonight, Hannah?"

"Feeling better, Dr. Cullen."

"You can call me Carlisle, you know."

"Alright. How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. I think we may be saying god-bye to you very soon."

"Why have I been here this long anyways?"

"When you fell on you knife, the blade entered on a downward slant. It nearly pierced your heart, but it did pierce your lung. We wanted to make sure that no permanent damage ensued."

"Carlisle, where am I?"

"You're in the hospital." He looks at me like he wants to examine me for a concussion.

"I mean what hospital. I've been here almost a week and I'm not even sure what wing this is. Let alone the floor."

"Well, you are on the second floor of the Memorial Hospital in West Virginia." He no longer looked concerned, only amused.

Eventually he left for home and his wife, and I was left alone, but not before he explained to me the new drug they were introducing to my system. Carlisle told me that I might experience some dizziness, but because I would still be in bed it should not matter. The nurses turned off the lights, saying goodbye to me on their way out.

All was quiet in the hallway. I listened to the sound of my own breathing and let my eyes drift closed and my thoughts wander.

A dark shape moved over me; it's cool skin not quite touching me, but close enough to feel its lack of heat.

_Felix._

Not wanting to open my eyes, I sighed and arched slightly in the direction of him. Frozen lips touched mine and I sighed again in contentment, reaching up to grip his shoulders as I tried desperately to make him kiss me harder. His tongue touched my lips and I opened to him, tugging on his clothes until his torso met mine. I groaned into his mouth as he pressed me into the mattress, and I bent my legs and cradled his hips with them. I felt my gown begin to rise, and I shivered at the touch of his bare skin.

He stopped moving, and I opened my eyes to see him staring at me as if he was not sure how he'd come to be in my arms. He leaned closer to me and reached up a hand to palm my breast. "_La tua pelleé cosí calda, cosí liscio; come seta riscaldati._ I love how you feel."

I could feel my thighs becoming moistened, simply from the way the Italian flowed off his tongue and wrapped around me. The cold sensation of his hand on my breast sent shivers running up and down my spine. I reached up to grip his shoulders through the soft fabric of his shirt and coat, my hands ending up far away from each other due to the breadth of his shoulders. I tugged on the lapels of his coat until he leaned forward again and kissed me feverishly.

He stayed with me for what could have been a lifetime to my addled brain, before releasing himself from my hold. He did so with such a lack of effort that I was surprised; obviously I was still very weak from the surgery. The explanation made me feel better even as I mourned the loss of his closeness. He stared at me silently before turning and moving away.

"Please stay."

I wasn't sure what caused me to speak out. One moment the thought was in my head, the next it was floating in the air between us. Felix turned to look at me, still in shadow so I had no clue to the thoughts preserved behind his eyes.

Blushing, I backtracked. "Forget about it; it was a stupid request. You probably have much more important things to be doing." I turned away from him as best I could and closed my eyes, pretending to fall asleep. I heard no movement for several minutes, and, unable to resist, I opened my eyes to see him standing in the same place, still not moving.

"_Un angelo chiede di dormire tra le braccia di un demone; un'offerta allettante per il demone. Quale sarebbe la punizione del cielo per un tale atto? La morte l'angelo, o il demonio? __Sicuramente di morte per il demone sarebbe più misericordioso, in caso affermativo allora il demonio non ha bisogno realizzare per l'eternità ciò che ha perduto, e l'angelo non devono essere ulteriormente contaminato dal demone._ I'm afraid I need to leave, and you need to sleep."

I nodded my head, confused. From what I understood of Italian, Felix had spoken of angels and demons. That would be odd for sure, but maybe my translation was off.

That night as I slept, I dreamt of Felix. As I watched him in my dreams, I wished he had stayed, and I called him.

"_Felix! Felix come back to me!"_

_He turns to me, befuddled, his face yet again in shadow. He walks toward me, and follows me as I travel up the stairs to my floor of the hospital. I climb into bed and he joins me there, his arm encircling my waist._

"_As you wish, piccola. I will stay for awhile."_

I turned my face to him and rested my head on his chest. The rest of my sleep was peaceful and dreamless.

As dawn drew near, Felix's weight shifted on the hospital issued mattress, and I woke to see him leaving me again. "You really did come back." I stated drowsily, not quite believing my dream was real.

He leaned over me, his back to the window and said, "I did, _piccola,_ but I really do need to leave now. Try not to call me back."

I yawned unattractively. "Maybe if you weren't so damned addictive, I wouldn't want to. And you came back; next time just ignore me."

He chuckled and I frowned at him. He was laughing at me? He gently kissed my forehead, and turned without another word, heading for the door to my room, and presumably, wherever he was headed to last night when he left me the last time.

I sighed, missing the cooling effect of having him near me, but eventually I convinced myself to return to sleep. I stayed that way for a few more hours, before my first visitors arrived.

_Knock-knock._

"Come in." My cousin entered with her husband and another woman.

"Hey Hannah. This is Renesmee, Edward's sister. I hope you don't mind that she came, but she wanted to meet you."

"I don't mind, Bella. It's nice to meet you, Renesmee. How've you all been?" There was something about Renesmee that looked off; something that screamed at me, but I couldn't quite pinpoint it.

"I came to visit dad, and when I heard about you, I convinced Bella you might like to be entertained. I had to be quarantined as I child, and I remember it as if it were just a few months ago. I was wondering if there was a book or something I could get for you."

"That would be wonderful, Renesmee, thank you. Unfortunately I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about it." She set something on the non-wheeled table beside my bed and I looked over to see that it was an ipod docking station. She handed me an ipod, and I scrolled through some of the list, extensive though it was, and saw many of my favorite songs on it. "From what Bella told me about your personality, I figured we had similar taste in music."

"This is great, thank you. You like Crazytown?"

"Oh yeah. The lead singer is a total hottie. Those tattoos are just…" Her voice trails off and I see Edward glaring at the back of his sister's head. Smothering a laugh, I say, "I really love the piercings. His body is a parchment, and I always wonder what he has that you can't see in the music videos."

She wiggles her eyebrows at me and we laugh. I can tell she and I are going to be really good friends.

She and Bella take seats in the chairs beside my bed, and Edward leans on the wall beside the window. As we talk about music and fashion, I catch my mind drifting back to the night before. Though I try to fight it, my mind recalls the way Felix had left me, then come back and told me not to call him. _Humph!_ Just like a man. I don't even have his phone number; how could I call him in the first place? And if he really had to leave then he shouldn't have come back. _Stupid nocturnal…male._

My train of thought is cut off by Edward speaking. "Excuse me, Bella, may I speak with you outside?"

They left the room and my mind was drawn back to the conversation with Renesmee.

"You seem somewhat distracted. Is something wrong?" Renesmee asked me, and I realize my mind had again wandered, this time to my mother and sister.

"I'm sorry I just started thinking about my mom. I haven't seen her since I woke up. She hasn't even called to check on me. I'm starting to wonder if she even remembers I'm here." I laughed at myself, but inwardly I cringed. It was a lousy attempt at self-deprecating humor, and I could tell Renesmee was not buying it.

"Have you tried calling her?"

"I did. I even left voicemail. She hasn't called back."

"I'm sure she hasn't forgotten you. You have a sister, don't you?"

"I do."

"I'm sure she probably doesn't want to worry her."

Out of all the excuses for my mother's behavior I'd given myself over the last few days, Renesmee's was definitely the worst. I smiled anyways, and nodded like I believed her. I could tell neither of us truly thought it plausible, however.

Edward and Bella returned to the room and brought Carlisle with them. I was surprised to see him here this early.

"Hello Carlisle. Why are you here?"

I then noticed the strange looks on all of their faces.

"I'm afraid security recovered some footage of an intruder. Apparently he was snooping around this floor. We think he may be responsible for the recent deaths of some of our patients. Did you see anyone or anything unusual in the past week or so?"

I looked at Carlisle askance. Felix was here last night, but he couldn't be the murderer; he was with me last night. What if the killer cornered Felix? What if Felix came back to see me and got murdered for his trouble? "There's a murderer roaming the halls of the hospital at night and I'm just finding out about this now?"

Carlisle sighed. "I'm afraid they just told me about a half hour ago."

"Well that's just dandy. No, I didn't see anyone strange last night."

I saw Carlisle and Edward exchange a look before Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's middle and pulled her close. She looked frightened and worried, Carlisle and Edward looked concerned. "Do you think he'll be back?"

"We are not sure. All anyone has said is that three people are dead so far, and that none of them were terminal patients. Last night, a young researcher on one of the upper levels apparently spooked whoever it was, because they ended up slaughtered. There was another body in the room, and we think he may have come across someone trying to hurt a young child with a broken leg. The girl lived."

"So you're telling me this creep doesn't have any priorities where his victims are concerned?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." He and Edward exchanged another glance. "Hannah, the young girl that was almost attacked last night woke up in time to see her attacker leaving. She was able to identify him this morning when security looked at the tape. We have reason to believe...that you know him."

There was no possible way I knew who killed those people. I didn't see anyone besides Felix last night. Unless it was someone I'd just seen in passing. Maybe someone had come into my room while he and I were sleeping... No, I refused to entertain the thought.

"What makes you think that?"

"He went into your room, Hannah. Twice. The first time was right after the nurses turned off the lights. He left, and the tape follows him down the hall to the elevator, up the stairs to the girl's room. Another man enters, and when the first leaves, the second is lying in a pool of something on the ground. The man leaves the building and returns a half hour later, where he returns to your room and does not leave until just before dawn."

The man must have entered while I was distracted with Felix. I suppose the first time I was too wrapped up in watching his mouth to pay any attention to the door. The second time I was half asleep, and doubted I would've noticed or cared at that point whether or not there was an intruder.

"I can't think of who it could possibly be. I'll let you know if I do see anything though."

"Hannah..." Carlisle looked extremely uncomfortable, and I imagined that this was how he would have looked having the 'Birds and the Bees' conversation with his kids. "I'm not sure how to say this, but...did you allow anyone into your room after light's out, Hannah?"

"Well...yeah. But he's not a killer. He couldn't be."

"I'm afraid he is. After he was identified, the police looked him up in their system. Apparently he's a serial murderer, possibly an insane one at that. Hannah if you see him again, you must let us know. Even if we do not arrest him, we have to hold him for questioning. Please, Hannah; we need to make sure he really isn't the killer- to make sure no one else is harmed."

I nodded despondently. Felix couldn't be the killer. He just couldn't.

Everyone left me soon afterward, and I pondered the situation alone and uninterrupted. Felix was videotaped at the scene of the murder. He was the only person that I knew of that had entered my room. A small part of me whispered that it was entirely possible for him to have killed that researcher. The rest of me screamed defiance. No! Not my Felix!

I realized that somehow in the short time I had known him, I'd started referring to him as mine. How could I be so stupid? I decided that if I did see him again, I would ask him; remaining entirely clinical until I got the answers I wanted. I was sure there was a perfectly logical explanation for all of this.

**A/N Translations:**

_La tua pelle è così calda, così liscio; come seta riscaldati.:_ Your skin is so warm, so smooth; like heated silk.

_Un angelo chiede di dormire tra le braccia di un demone; un'offerta allettante per il demone. Quale sarebbe la punizione del cielo per un tale atto? La morte l'angelo, o il demonio? __Sicuramente di morte per il demone sarebbe più misericordioso, in caso affermativo allora il demonio non ha bisogno realizzare per l'eternità ciò che ha perduto, e l'angelo non devono essere ulteriormente contaminato dal demone. : _An angel asks to sleep in the arms of a demon; an enticing offer for the demon. What would be heaven's punishment for such an act? Death to the angel, or to the demon? Surely death for the demon would be more merciful, if so then the demon need not realize for eternity what he has lost, and the angel need not be further tainted by the demon.

Well, what'd you think? Tell me tell me tell me!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Ok, so this took me forever to write...and then of course, when I thought I'd published it, I really hadn't. So I've been trying to think up chapter four when I didn't even have chapter three up! Wow, real smooth...anyways, here it is and for anyone reading this I should have the next chapter up within the next week or so. Thanks to those who've reviewed so far! ily!

**Chapter 3**

I spent the day wondering how I could confront Felix about Carlisle's suspicions. If Felix was the killer, as all evidence seemed to point to him, and I said something, then he would most likely kill me. If he wasn't the killer, then he would think I didn't trust him. Not that trust issues were any real issue. I'd only met the man twice in a week's time. On top of everything else, all Felix had to do was look at me and whisper, maybe smile, and I'd forget any questions that I was supposed to ask. Talk about Mission Impossible…

Carlisle came in again that night to inform me of the progress they'd made with the murder case.

"They still haven't found the killer, and your friend Felix is still the police's main suspect. I'm sorry, Hannah."

"It's not your fault, Carlisle. I just can't believe Felix is a killer. He seemed so…nice!" Nice wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind, but I suppose it worked.

"Some of the most dangerous killers in the world seemed nice, Hannah. You know of Gary Ridgway, John Gacy, and Ted Bundy? All of them were murderers, and yet no one realized it until their arrests. People called them charming, Hannah."

"I know… And it makes sense, I guess. I just don't want to believe it."

"I understand." He stood from his seat on the edge of my bed. "We're releasing you tomorrow, but we're having trouble locating your mother."

"Did you try calling her office?"

"Yes, we have. I'm afraid the hospital can't keep you here any longer. I wanted to run an idea by you. Bella and Edward are currently staying with my wife and myself at my home. If we can't find your mother, would you like to stay with us?"

I knew my mother would probably be furious when she found out. Oh well, if that mattered then she ought to have been here for me. "Sure, that sounds great."

"Good. I'll have Esme arrange a room for you. In the meantime, get some rest. Your muscles may be discomforted tomorrow when you walk; it has been over a week." With that bit of advice and a smile, he left, closing the door behind him. The nurses turned off the lights not long after, and I knew they had waited until Carlisle had left the wing to do so.

_I'm soaring through the skies when I see a dark figure crouched below in the shadows of an alley. It is Felix. I don't know how I know, but I do. I set foot on the ground behind him._

"_Felix, what are you doing?" A young man lies at his feet, limp and unmoving._

"_Piccola? Go back. I will be with you shortly."_

"_Did you kill the people in the hospital as well?"_

_He looks at me sharply, and his eyes seem to reflect the moonlight in the same way as the blood pooling on the ground. "I only killed this man. The hospital people were the work of another. The one I am trying to catch."_

"_Oh good." Relief washes through me before I realize three things. One, Felix did kill someone; the man at his feet. Two, he could be lying. Three, if he wasn't, then the police were still waiting to catch him at the hospital. _

"_Don't come to me tonight." His features contort in pain, and he gasps._

"_Why?" The words are choked. _

"_Relax." And he does._

_No longer choking, he asks me again, "Why do you not wish me to see you tonight?"_

"_I don't want you to go to jail."_

_Apparently he understands my cryptic words and the feeling behind them. "If you wish it, I must obey."_

"_They're moving me tomorrow."_

"_I will follow you." I begin to tell him not to, that I don't want to risk his freedom, but he stops me. "Do not tell me otherwise, _il mio dolce_. I must do as you command, and I must also follow you. Please."_

_Felix again looks as if he is in pain. I can't imagine he is used to begging, and I think perhaps his pain stems from having to ask me for anything. He stares straight at me, though not quite. It is almost as if he is looking through me… "Alright. But promise me no one will see you."_

"_I promise."_

Opening my eyes to the sound of soft rock music, I realize I had been dreaming of Felix yet again. Normally, my dreams were varied, and I never dreamed of the same thing twice. Felix was messing with my head.

Glancing around, I saw Renesmee leaning back in one of the chairs beside my bed, her feet propped on the other chair and reading a book.

"What time is it?"

She looked up at me and grinned. "Glad you're awake. The nurses were going to move you earlier but Carlisle wanted you to sleep so he posted me to make sure they didn't. Oh, it's ten a.m."

My head spun slightly at the overload of new information, and I nodded, not sure what to say.

"Now that you're awake, they'll move you."

"Are you staying with Carlisle, too?"

My question comes from nowhere, and I grimace. Renesmee simply nods and tips her head. "Yup. Normally I'd be in Seattle right about now, but I've been visiting dad. I'll be there for a few weeks."

"Cool."

The nurse came in then, Carlisle in tow, and they began explaining to me how I was supposed to be moved. Bella was acting as my guardian, and so I was being put in her custody. They would bring in a wheelchair and let me stand up to walk to it. If I could manage that, they would give me the option of walking to the elevator, wheelchair in tow. If I could manage that, they would let me walk to Carlisle's car. At any of these checkpoints, I had the option to sit down and let someone push me along if I wanted. I resolved that the only way they would put me in that stupid wheelchair would be to knock me out. I had sat in a bed for eight days. I was sure as hell going to walk out that door all by myself.

Renesmee held one arm, and Carlisle held the other; I suppose it was an effort to both make sure I didn't fall down, and also lend me confidence and strength. It felt odd having them on either side of me. The arm that Carlisle held was becoming slightly numb, definitely cold. The arm Renesmee held felt sunburned; not in an unpleasant way, but definitely different from the other half of my body. The first few steps were hard. The next few were difficult. After that, walking was excruciating. But I kept moving. And when I made it to the elevator, I stopped to take a breath. Edward- where did he come from?- moved closer with the wheelchair, but Renesmee shooed him off. I knew she and I were kindred spirits.

We made it downstairs to Carlisle's black Mercedes, and I sat down inside, exhausted from my short stroll, but exhilarated at my success. Carlisle, Renesmee, and I rode in the Mercedes while Bella and Edward drove away in his shiny silver Volvo. We approached the house within moments, and as we prepared to enter, I looked around, hoping yet dreading to see Felix somewhere. He wasn't there, and I couldn't decide if the feelings coursing through me were positive or negative.

A short black haired girl, a tall blonde man, and another short red haired woman met us on the porch. I again gathered my energy and walked up the front steps, only to collapse on Renesmee as my foot hit the board wrong. Everyone lunged to catch me, and I could feel my face burning in embarrassment at my weakness.

"Sorry," I muttered, but I don't think anyone heard me. The short black-haired girl, who I later learned was Alice, and the red-head, her name was Esme, spent a few moments fussing over me to make sure that I hadn't injured myself.

We all walked slowly into the living room, and I was seated on the large white sofa in the center of the room. A humongous flat screen TV decorated the space between the couch and the wall of windows, and I couldn't decide which was more impressive: the obvious wealth displayed throughout the room in curio cabinets and on shelves, or the view of their backyard. Carlisle obviously had very good taste in real estate.

Introductions were made, and Esme set to work making dinner. I discovered that while the family was very close, they did not do the things most families did. For example, they did not eat their meals together. Alice and Jasper stayed in their room, Bella and Edward in theirs, and Renesmee and I on the couch in the living room. I was curious about Alice and Jasper. It was my understanding they were siblings. Yet they seemed almost…romantic. I decided to ask Renesmee about it.

"Are Alice and Jasper a couple?"

"Yeah."

"But I thought they were related."

"Nah, see, Carlisle and Esme couldn't have kids so they adopted. There was Rosalie and Jasper Hale, Emmet and Alice, Edward, and then myself. So technically they aren't really siblings."

That made sense in a weird sort of way. And I could kind of understand. For a moment, I was jealous of my cousin who had married into such a large and loving family. Then the feeling subsided and I concentrated on the hope that maybe someday I could make my own family.

After I finished my dinner, Renesmee showed me to the room I'd be sharing with her. The room was huge, equipped with a full size bed, a pull out couch, a dresser, and a mini-fridge. The closet was no bigger than the one I had in my own room, but it was still very roomy.

"I'm afraid I don't have any clothes, Renesmee."

"Oh don't worry about it. You can borrow some of mine for now, and Alice and I will take you shopping for more. And we're friends; you don't have to call me Renesmee. Now, don't say it in front of my mom, but you can call me Nessie."

"As in the Loch Ness Monster?"

"Yeah." She chuckled a little, her eyes taking on a far off look. "My boyfriend gave me the nickname. After my mom found out, she practically broke his neck. Instead she broke his friend's arm."

"You aren't serious? Sweet little Esme? I can't picture it."

She looked at me strangely for a moment and then seemed to realize something. "Yeah, well anyways…I have to go speak with dad for a minute. I'll be back in a bit, k? You should probably lie down."

I nodded my head and lay down on the bed. I felt drained, and as I closed my eyes I heard the door shut with a quiet click.

A soft fluttering in front of me alerted my senses, and I opened my eyes, only to see that the sun had long disappeared and something white and ghostly floated in front of my face. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the ghost-like thing hovering in front of me before I finally realized that it was a piece of paper.

I reached out to feel it and discovered that yes, it was real. Plucking it from its slow, leisurely glide to my mattress, I unfolded the beautiful origami masterpiece to reveal two words and a letter.

_Come outside. F._

Felix? Now? Hesitantly I looked around and noticed with satisfaction that Nessie was nowhere in sight. I sneaked out of bed carefully, and quietly turned the latch. Escaping from the safety of my room to the utter darkness of the hallway, I scanned the wide open space, bracing myself against the wall for support. If I remembered correctly, the front door was to my left.

Balancing myself on various odd pieces of furniture, I reached the door and turned the knob, hoping no one heard anything and came to inspect. It was bad enough that Felix had risked being caught to come see me, but if I was the reason he was found out I'd never forgive myself. Though why I was protecting a killer from being convicted of three murders he happened not to kill but not turning him over just the same, I wasn't sure.

I stepped onto the porch and glanced around, looking for some clue as to either where I should go next, or where my Felix was hiding.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

No sign of him anywhere I looked. Vaguely aware of the chill ghosting up my bare arms and legs, I stood shivering on the porch. Shadows moved in the yard, and I stared closer, finally seeing the outline of a small cat darting through the leaves.

_This is nuts. I should just go back inside._

But as I had the thought, I noticed another shadow, felt another presence, and I turned to see Felix gliding through the darkness, separating it as if it did not at all intimidate him. He gestured for me to leave the porch, and I did so without hesitation.

Laying in a bed with him anywhere near me had sent my senses reeling without any effort on his part. Each time we had met, he merely had to look at me and my heart would beat faster, my breathing would drag heavier, and a lump would form in my throat that made it incredibly uncomfortable to swallow. Standing in front of him was an entirely different story, however. I had not realized precisely how tall he was, but compared to my shorter frame, he was a giant. The top of my head came up to his shoulder and his arms, when they gathered me close to him, felt as if they could crush me without strain.

All of this would have felt entirely intimidating to me if I had not felt so comfortable with him, so in awe of his masculinity instead of frightened. I stood there thinking about this for several minutes, unsure of the time and yet strangely not caring. Felix finally whispered in my ear, "Let us leave here. Go somewhere else. I will return you before the Cullens even know you are away."

_Finally,_ I thought. Nodding my head enthusiastically, I let him take my hand as his devilish grin again distracted me from the insistent chill and the pain now coursing through my legs.

As if reading my thoughts, Felix lifted me in his arms and carried me down the long driveway, seating me in a black sports car that looked shiny and expensive, even in the near complete darkness.

He sped down the rest of the driveway, and made it to the highway, a surprise for me because I felt as if he would fly off the road at any second. But no, he handled the car beautifully, almost as if it were an extension of him.

Looking over at me in the passenger's seat, he asked me, "So where would you like to go?"

I had nowhere in mind that I wanted to go with any urgency, perfectly content to drive off a cliff as long as I stayed with him. Okay, perhaps that is an exaggeration, I didn't want to die, I wanted to stay alive so I could have even more time with him. Shaking off my morbid thoughts I shrugged, knowing I was being entirely unhelpful and grinning at his exaggerated huffing.

We drove for miles through the country, finally entering the main town after what seemed to me like hours. He held my hand the entire time, his skin cool to the touch, gradually absorbing all that my own had to offer.

But finally, after those pleasantly endless moments, Felix parked the car in front of a quaint little restaurant that remained open even at such a late hour. He ushered me inside and we sat down at a booth tucked away in a corner of the main room. A waitress came and took our drink orders, leaving as quickly as she'd come; though I noticed her not-so-subtle admiring and yet fearful glances at my Felix. He seemed not to notice, and I supposed he was simply used to them.

"So do you come here often?" I mentally shook my head at myself, wondering why my brain had chosen such a clichéd and over-used pick up line such as that to blurt out in this romantic setting.

Thankfully, Felix seemed not to notice- or at least not to care- because he simply glanced around as if just realizing where he'd brought me to.

"No, I've never been here before." He reached forward and cradled my hand in his giant paw, rubbing my palm with his thumb. The touch, innocuous and innocent as it was, sent tingles up and down my spine, making me think of other places that wanted to be touched in that way.

He seemed almost to hear my thoughts, because he looked at me, smiled like a cat would its cream, and said, "How long have you lived in Western Virginia?"

"About six weeks, actually. My mother moves us around a lot, and it's almost always to a new place. We actually lived in California twice, though the cities were about five hours apart. What about you? Where do you live?"

"I live in Italy, in Volterra."

"Do you like it there?"

"Quite. It's beautiful, especially in the summer. Golden light tints everything and fills it with color. The city itself sits on a hillside, with views of _il mare_, the sea, very close by. You would enjoy in very much, I think."

"Would you take me there someday?" The question slipped from between my lips and I tried to think of some way to retract it before he started to think badly of me.

"I'd take you anywhere you wanted to go, _dolce_. All you need do is ask."

I looked to his face, stunned into silence at the intensity of his tone. If I'd felt foolish before for feeling strangely connected to this man, those feelings had disappeared. Trying to lighten the mood a little bit, unsure if I was entirely comfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the strands brush along my shoulder blades above the line of my tank top.

"So is your father from around here originally?"

He seemed to consider his words, chewing on them as I would ice cream, absorbing all of the flavors it had to offer before finally choosing which were best suited to my palate.

"He was born in England, as was I, before we moved to Italy after my father's second marriage. May I ask you a question?"

"Sure; go ahead."

"Where is your home?"

"I don't think I have one. I used to think it was wherever my mother and my sister were… I don't know though, I haven't seen or heard from them since I woke up. I just…I don't know anymore."

"I have to leave soon, you know. I need to go back to Volterra. I was only here for a short time, and that time is almost up."

"Oh… Well, I suppose if we exchanged numbers you could call me sometime, or maybe we could meet up if you ever came back to town…."

He looked at me closely, making me fidget under the weight of his stare. "Is that really what you want?"

My discomfort and uncertainty returned to me in a rush, then. Making me hastily backtrack.

"I know we just met, but I really enjoy your company, and I thought that maybe you might feel the same. I can understand if you don't. I mean, I feel a bit foolish, but I understand if you don't want to talk to me after you leave."

"Of course I want to talk to you, _dolce._ I want to see you, and smell you, taste you, and hear your voice. I want you much more than is safe for either of us."

My heart skipped a beat with his words, and I felt a shiver sneak its way up my spine. My body reacted to his voice like a physical touch, and my brain stuttered, trying to comprehend the second half of his statement.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I cannot explain it yet."

"I wish you would try."

"I am afraid that if I did so, it would only make things worse for you."

"That doesn't help me to understand."

"Then come with me. Let me take you on the adventure of a lifetime."

My heart skipped a beat and I laughed aloud, hearing the sound and feeling it clash with the sincerity of his expression. "Where would we go?"

"I have to return to Volterra for a few days, but after that, we could go anywhere you want, anywhere you can think of."

"I've never even been out of the country! I can't imagine where I'd want to go!"

"We could go to Venice, Florence, and Rome. We could visit the Swiss Alps, the Netherlands. I could take you to Germany, or France, Britain, or Ireland. Imagine travelling to China, South America…anywhere you wish. Would you like to come with me?"

My head spun; I felt dizzy. I could see everything he promised in my mind's eye, and I knew with a certainty the adventure he could bring me, merely by being near.

Mouth opened, I began to agree, positive that anywhere we went would hold special memories for me in the future, and uncaring that I hardly knew this man, but then I stopped, adjusting my view. I did hardly know Felix. I'd already placed so much trust in a man that few believed innocent of heinous crimes that I could hardly believe myself capable of taking this long to step back and examine my feelings.

Light twinkled in his eyes, the eyes of an excited little boy in the face of a gravely serious and impossibly attractive man. I'd only ever met Felix at night, in secret, when no one else was around. Whenever he touched me I felt drugged, yet he'd had no opportunity to administer said drugs himself. There was evidence to prove that Felix had murdered those people, and yet he treated me with such kindness that, perhaps I was merely being foolish, but I didn't think he'd been the one to hurt anyone. Could I trust him? It probably wasn't the best idea to. Did I trust him? Undoubtedly. Was I about to agree to go out with a practical stranger to foreign countries where I knew no one? Yes, I was about to agree to that stupid thing.

"Yes, I'd love to go with you. Anywhere, everywhere; I'd love to go with you." He smiled at me, his lovely brown eyes relieved and his teeth sparkling white in his pale face. I grinned back at him, feeling excited at the prospect of travelling, and weightless, as if I had nothing to worry over.

"I'm glad you wish to come, _dolche_." I should probably take you home, now.

I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and realized, with a start, that I'd been gazing, moonstruck, into his eyes for the past hour and a half. The restaurant was closing, and by the time I turned back to look at him, Feliz was already standing, pulling out my chair for me.

On the return trip home, I remembered the last obstacle I'd forgotten in pondering the situation I'd agreed to let myself fall into. "Oh, Felix, I forgot them."

He looked over at me, and I had the sudden urge to yell at him to watch the road. We were cruising at 110 mph, and, though I loved the speed, I had no desire to crash into anything or anyone. Felix, however, continued to stare at me. "Who did you forget, _mi dolche_?"

The car did not swerve at all in any direction, merely continuing its straight path along the smooth concrete. "I forgot about my mother and my sister. I haven't seen or heard from them since I was put in the hospital."

"Perhaps you should try calling. You may use my phone if you wish."

I agreed, taking his phone from his hand and dialing one-handed, so as to grasp his fingers with my own.

**Author's Note:** Yes, I know. If you're bothering to read this, then you probably hate me for taking this long to update, and you hate me even more so for taking so long to update only this much. So I'm sorry, but you should probably realize how life never really lets you do the things you want to, and in addition to that, I've been suffering an immense load of writer's block. My style is changing up as well, so read and review; tell me if you like it or don't. Also, if there's anything you want me to change. Thanks so much =-D


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** OHMIGOD this has taken me forever! Good news is, I did actually (finally) figure out an ending for this. (Sorry for those of you that were hoping I'd finish WISWDYH? first.)

Well, it seems like it's been forever since I've updated anything. I think I should know by now that if I have 2 ongoing fanfics of the same thing (i.e. Soul Eater or Twilight Heh. Heh.) I'm going to get burned out on both at around the same time. Do I recognize this? Definitely. Do I still continue to do this? Oh yes.

Due to the above stuff and some other 'reality' (blech) stuff I have to deal with, I'm going to put two of my ongoings on hold for now. If you have a preference, I'd suggest you go to my poll and vote for what happens next.

Ok, I think it's time for the actual story (considering it's been like a YEAR in waiting...)

_Disclaimer: Even though it's been a year, I STILL don't own Twilight. Damn._

* * *

There was no answer. I called twice before the panic began to set in, clenching my throat in its tight fist. Felix seemed to understand my emotions—he was oddly perceptive for such an attractive person—and he offered to drive me to my house.

It was a method to stave off hysteria, at any rate, and I wondered why I hadn't immediately thought of it. I could have simply blamed the medication I'd been on for the past week or the confusion about Felix and the mystery surrounding him, or the pain I'd been in—ultimately, though, lately it had seemed as though my mental capacity had been reduced to that of a child.

The drive home was strangely silent, save for the whir of the cooling system in his car. His hand gripped mine and vice versa as I stared unseeing at the swiftly passing scenery. What was my problem? In the past few days, not only had I accepted a proposal to travel with someone I hardly knew, but I'd ignored the suspicion that said person might be a wanted murderer based solely on instinct and my impression of him in a dream. Then, to top it off, I was only now realizing that my family's absence was truly strange and that I _should_ be worried.

_What's wrong with me?_

Nothing. The house was empty. No books, no overactive sister remained. Most of the furniture had been removed and it was obvious that the rest had either been stolen or vandalized, judging by the paint on the walls and the littered cigarette butts staining the carpet. Where could they have gone? And why had they left me without so much as a goodbye?

_They've forgotten me._

All of my things—most of them, anyway—remained where I'd left them with a few obvious exceptions (namely my television and laptop). A few of my more…racy undergarments lay scattered about the floor and on the desk, and I blushed a bit, knowing that Felix could clearly see them from his position in the doorway.

He had yet to say anything, reassuring or otherwise. I wasn't sure what I wanted to hear, either, so I kept quiet and resumed my rapid thought processes.

_I've been abandoned._

_Who'll take care of Sarah?_

_Why?_

_What's that under my lamp?_

My steps were cautious—the last time I'd been in this room I'd ended up in the hospital for days—as I walked across the room to my large, cherry wood desk and picked up the cheap thrift store lamp that had helped me cram so many late nights.

The paper was crumpled, like it'd been fisted in someone's sweaty palm before being folded and set under the light. My baby sister's handwriting stood out at me from the page and I smiled, seeing her nickname for me at the top. She'd written in a simple code that we'd come up with when we were younger, sitting under the stars in a makeshift tent with Bella in our backyard.

_Salt-_

_I'm not really sure why, but I think they've decided to build a new McDonald's on Riverview. We've got stalkers from the airport—about 6' and really mean looking. Be careful, they're out for blood._

_Eniles failed miserably earlier, when they took you away. Are you OK? I hope you get this soon. Maybe when you get out of the hospital, we can go to Houston in the springtime like we'd planned._

_Love you._

_Blondie_

"Are you meant to understand any of this?" Felix's warm breath drifted past my neck as he spoke and I shivered involuntarily.

"I understand it. The first line here," I pointed with my index finger, "means that she doesn't understand whatever is going on and that I need to come find her because she can't look for me."

He glanced at me with one raised eyebrow and I had to chuckle at the unfamiliar face on his countenance. "It's true! It's part of a code that we made up when we were younger. Look here," I pointed to the second sentence, "she's saying that she caught someone following them, but she doesn't know who or why. This here is what they looked like, though she doesn't specify how many there were, and the part about the airport means that they are headed there next. Do you understand?"

He still looked dubious, but he nodded just the same. "Who is 'Eniles'?"

"That's our mother. 'Eniles' is just 'Seline' spelled backwards."

"And she…failed? At what did she fail?"

Again, I chuckled. It wasn't that I was really amused; more that I was letting the hysteria escape me in small doses. "It's a colloquialism. More than that, it means my mother caught Sarah doing something—probably writing this letter. The next part is her worrying about me and then telling me that they've gone to Houston."

He grunted a little and my lips twitched before he held out his hand. I gave him the note and he looked it over once more before speaking. "What does she mean when she says 'they are out for blood'?"

I bit my lip, sorely wishing that we'd not developed that line for our code. "She means that the men following her want her and my mother dead."

We'd found an IHOP not far from the house and stopped in for something to eat. Felix claimed that he wasn't really hungry, and actually, neither was I, so we ordered coffee and sat in a booth, trying to plan the next move.

My muscles were screaming at me, and considering that I'd only just been let out of the hospital, I understood why. What I didn't get was why Felix looked as if there was something that he wasn't telling me.

"Spill." He looked confused. _Oh, right. No slang._ "What are you not telling me?"

He didn't actually smile then—it was more of a grimace—but his lips turned up at the corners and his face turned, if possible, more grim then before.

"Non é niente, ragazza dolce. I am merely thinking of how we can help your sister."

For probably the first time, I knew, without a doubt, that Felix was lying to me. There was _something_ that he wasn't telling me. I _knew_ it. I knew it even if I didn't know what that something was.

And he knew that I knew. His eyes never wavered, and he didn't move an inch.

"Why did you come to see me in the hospital, Felix?"

He seemed surprised. "Because you called to me, piccola."

"I meant the first night I had a nightmare. I woke up and you were already there. Why were you in my room?"

His eyes darkened. "I was looking for someone."

"Your ill father?" I scoffed. That was definitely a lie. _Wasn't it?_

Why had it suddenly become so important to distance myself from him?

"No. The man I was looking for was not my father. Also, the night you awoke with me, I was there because I had been doing the same thing every night—soothing your fears."

"I…don't understand."

"Every night that you were in that room, at around midnight you would start whimpering, like a child. The first few days, I did nothing. I did not know you and I had no reason to help you—I was merely continuing my search. Then, sometimes a half hour later, sometimes more, you would begin to moan in pain and finally you would scream, as if the very fires of hell were clutching at your insides.

After that first week I stopped trying to ignore you, and then, when you finally awoke, I was…pleased. Why do you look so confused?"

"I don't see how that is possible. I was only there for eleven days."

"Piccola, you were in that bed for almost a month."

My eyes as wide as saucers, I stood and made a beeline for the newspaper racks. _October 23__rd__, 2011._ I tried desperately to remember what day it had been when I'd been sent to the hospital but…oh. I hadn't gone to school yet, had I?

The paper drifted from my hands and to the floor; I followed after it in an excellent impersonation of a limp noodle. Felix's strong arms were the only thing keeping me from landing painfully on my knees on the hard tile—an experience both too painful and too embarrassing for my normally uninhibited mind to contemplate.

"I…I didn't know. How did I not know? Why didn't Carlisle or Bella or Nessie tell me?"

Felix lifted me—effortlessly, I might add—and took me outside to the car, pausing to throw something on the cashier's desk. I was falling apart.

_This is pathetic. Why are you even crying over this? Worthless! That's why you can't even think for yourself; you're worthless!_

The tears fell harder.

"I don't have the answers you need. I think only you can find them. If I can help, I will. Lo non ti lasceró." One strand of white-blond hair trailed over his fingers as he twirled it absently.

He was right, though admitting that to myself only bruised my pride more. It had to be me to make myself shut up and grow some resolve, just like it had to be me to figure out why my mother and sister had disappeared. Still, I was hesitant to leave the comfort of his lap, even if that did make me feel incredibly needy.

I'd never been this way in my life. Maybe it was one of those changes that I'd sensed in myself that I hadn't noticed before.

"I know. You're right. I just… No. No complaining. I'll figure something out." I finally looked him in the eye again. His eyes seemed…different. Had they always been so bright? "It'd be wrong of me to ask you to help me, and yet..."

He shook his head as if he couldn't believe my foolishness. "You said that there was something I was hiding from you. You are right. It is not something that effects your search for your sister, but it does involve my search for someone else. That is all I can tell you for now, piccola, and I'm very sorry. I hope that you can still trust me."

Being in such close proximity to him had my senses on overload. He was like a drug wrapped in designer clothes and sexy masculinity. How in hell was any girl supposed to refute that?

So I kissed him. He was a bit surprised, I'll wager, when I climbed up and over him, enabling myself to settle my legs on either side of his. Our tongues were clashing and his grip on my arm was tight—though not painful—and giving me the sense that he could probably snap my arm in half if he really wanted to.

I loved every second of it.

It was like teasing a caged animal while being locked in the cage yourself. Not only that, but being pinned to the wall by the beast—all that smooth flesh and rippling muscle packed into a form that screams power and grace. And Felix was that animal. He was thrilling, mystifying; no substance could've gotten me any higher.

And yet, I wanted more.

My tongue grazed his fine, razor sharp incisors. My chest pressed against his, creating a delicious type of friction with the fabric of our shirts. I couldn't help but let my body take over in my mind's absence, grinding purposefully against him and provoking him into lifting and pushing back into me. The sensation was exquisite, and I knew it would feel more so without the excess layers of cloth.

_Naked. Now. Please._

I couldn't get the words out of my mouth, but my fingers understood and began unbuttoning his shirt, leaving me to lick his pectorals and the pert little nipples on each before nipping and biting my way lower. Just as I finished the last button on his shirt and bit down on the skin below his belly button, he jerked me upwards and to the side, shocking me into letting go of him.

He stayed in the same position—hands balled and pressed against his legs, head bent till his chin touched his chest—for a while before he finally spoke. "We can't." That was all he said, and his words instantly cooled my heated body.

_Felix doesn't want you. Felix doesn't want you!_

The voice in my head sang disdainfully at me, its voice mocking and full of glee. I couldn't refute its words, either. Felix _didn't_ want me. And that truth burned more than any other.

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Well, Like I said before, poll vote and, as always, pleasepleaseplease review :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Well, here's chapter six! I'm hoping you enjoy this one, but I was having a little trouble getting them out of the awkward 'we just almost had sex but he rejected her' phase, so this is the fruit of all that labor. Here's hoping AngelOfAnime97 can get to sleep tonight!

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Ch6

"I have no control over myself when you're near."

"Me either. I thought the whole point was to embrace that feeling."

Felix seemed impatient with me, but what had I done other than kiss him; let him know that I was attracted to him? "You don't understand. It's dangerous for me to lose my control."

"You're right. I don't understand. Then again, maybe you should elaborate a bit more."

He sighed and I knew that was the end of that conversation. Other than the fact that I was perfectly willing to have sex with a practical stranger in the front seat of his car, parked in the lot of a busy IHOP with no protection, I failed to see what was wrong with what we'd been doing.

_Ok…so maybe he has a point. But I get the feeling that none of those things has anything to do with his reasoning._

"Do you still want me to take you to Houston?"

"Do you still want to take me to Houston?"

He smiled a bit. "Are you planning to answer any of my questions?"

"Are you planning to answer any of mine?"

He sighed again. Why was he suddenly acting like _I_ was being annoying? Didn't he realize how he came off to other people? "You can dish it out, but you sure can't take it."

He laughed this time and smiled—really smiled—at me, as if I was the funniest thing alive. "Alright, piccola. You win. I will try to be less…cryptic. But there are certain things that I am not permitted to tell you at this time."

"And I'm fine with that. As long as you remember to tell me _something_ every now and then. I want you to talk to me, Felix."

He raised an eyebrow, an impressive trick, as if he thought I'd left something out. "OK. Talk to me, among other things. Happy now?"

He laughed again, nodded once, and then put the keys into their slot. "I'd like to do those _other_ things with you as well, just…not yet."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing, turning my head to look out the window. His giant paw swallowed my hand in its cool embrace and I felt my lips twitch. Was I ever going to learn to be mad at Felix?

"Felix…"

"What is it?"

"I don't have clothes."

"That's fine. We'll stop and buy you some before we stop for the night."

"Oh. Ok. Are we going to drive the whole way there?"

"I'd rather not, but if you'd rather not fly, I have no problem with that."

"No, that's fine. I just don't have any money."

"I have enough for the both of us."

"And I have enough anxiety for the both of us, but that's beside the point. We're going to find _my_ mother. You shouldn't have to take care of me along the way."

I suddenly felt the need for background music and played with his radio system until the beginning cords of 'Closing Time' started to drift through the space; oddly ironic, considering Felix was, in a sense, taking me home.

"Hannah, look at me." That was the first time I'd heard him say my name. I obediently looked in his direction, studying his stern profile as he stared resolutely out of the windshield at the oncoming night, looking for all the world like a man ready to go to battle at a moment's notice.

"How do you see me, piccola?"

"What do you mean?"

"What type of man do I look like to you?"

"I don't know." I tried to think of a category that Felix would fit into, but nothing came to mind. Strong, built for battle, protective were the first adjectives to make themselves known. Then I immediately remembered him caring for me, saving me from my nightmare. A man like Felix should be hugely intimidating to my small presence, but he wasn't. He was gentle and kind, caring and yet, there was a passion in him that I'd never seen present in anyone else.

"I don't think there is a type like you, Felix. You're too…_you_ for that. I guess the closest would be… warrior."

He nodded as though he'd expected me to come to such a conclusion. "I am a warrior, dolce. As such, I protect and I care for those whom I choose. I chose you, Hannah. Let me take care of you." A sideways glance and a tilt of those full lips marked the end of his speech and I nodded, dumbstruck, by his request.

He wanted to protect _me?_ I was so used to having to take care of everyone else, and ever since I'd woken up, all I'd done was let people do such for me. Hadn't I sworn never to let that happen? Hadn't I promised Bella and Sarah that I'd never become like my mother? Yet that was exactly what I was doing…wasn't it?

No; I never fooled myself into believing that Felix and I were in love. He was attractive, yes. I was sorely tempted to jump his bones. He was going to help me find my mother and sister. That was that, and nothing more. Right?

I had the sneaking suspicion that I was only fooling myself. Fate seemed to support the sentiment as 'With Arms Wide Open' opened on the radio.

_How splendid._

If I thought the airport was crowded, it was nothing compared to coach seating on the plane itself. People climbed on top of each other to get to their seats, screaming and hitting each other in an effort to make their carry-on fit. I was more relieved than you can imagine when Felix led me to the first class compartment, offering me the choice of window seat or aisle. Which seat I took didn't really matter, so I let him have the window and I took the other, immediately reclining my seat and settling in.

We'd gotten there earlier than necessary, and zoomed through the check-in process—our lack of baggage a noticeable relief—so the quiet of the cabin was rather soothing and it wasn't long before I dropped off into slumber and missed the entire take off and most of the trip.

When I awoke, Felix was reclined beside me, his face turned toward me, and he smiled when I opened my eyes. "Ciao, piccola."

"Hi to you too. Where are we?"

He pouted a bit at my abrupt awakening but only answered me with, "Nearing Bush Intercontinental airport. I was about to wake you up, myself."

I stuck my tongue out at him and he abruptly leaned closer to me and pressed his lips against mine. I didn't move a muscle, wondering what exactly he was trying to pull. Wasn't he the one that had told me we couldn't do this? Still, his lips felt so…

The thought was abruptly interrupted as he pulled away enough to lean his forehead against mine and whisper. "Yes, exactly like that, piccola."

"I didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

"I thought you said—"

"As long as you don't do anything, I can control myself. As soon as you respond to me, however, I lose what little self control I have managed to grasp. You are…_inebriante_."

"…Thanks?"

Another chuckle escaped those beautiful lips. "You are welcome. Now, I have made sleeping arrangements for us tonight, and I have a contact that may be able to help us."

"Wow. Efficient, aren't you? By the way, what do you do for a living?"

"I am one of many bodyguards to a certain reclusive group in Volterra." I'd half been expecting him to tell me that he was a member of the CIA or some sort of spelunking vampire. That dream I'd had of him and that dead body still haunted me when I was almost asleep. Although, the former could still be true, I supposed.

"Tell me something about yourself."

He grinned. "I believe it is your turn to tell me something, piccola."

_Darn._

I pulled my blanket—when had that gotten there?—over my eyes and whispered "I dream about you sometimes."

He gently pulled the cloth away from my face and I noticed that he was much closer than he had been. "What happens in these dreams, hmmm?"

I could _feel_ his gaze on me, and suddenly I wanted to take back my words. "Usually it feels like I'm a ghost. I'm flying along looking for some_thing_ or some_one_ but I don't know who or what. And then, right as I have the thought, I see you and I know what I want to do—what I have to do. The first few times I dreamed of you, I was always calling you back to me. And the last time I—"

_Oh crap._ I still hadn't actually asked Felix about the whole serial killer thing. I couldn't tell him now, could I? He was flying me to Houston, paying for room, board, and everything else I'd need. You didn't just go around accusing your benefactors of killing people! That was poor etiquette for one thing…

His eyes were steady, calm, as if he knew what was going on in my head. "I don't really remember what the last dream was about." That was a lame excuse, even to my ears, and I didn't think he'd buy it. Oddly enough, he merely nodded once and turned his head to stare, unblinking, at the ceiling. There was something odd about the way he did that—managed to keep his eyes open and have his chest barely rise and fall with each breath. It was like he was trying to become one with the chair—completely unalive—and I suddenly felt horrible for not telling him the truth of my dream.

Right as I would've opened my mouth to say something, the captain/pilot/man _driving the plane_ began to speak. I spent the time during his speech wondering what he was called which led me to a thoroughly heart wrenching tale about how the plane could crash at any time and his little son Johnny would grow up all alone with no one to show him the ropes.

Felix looked at me strangely when I tried to explain why I was tearing up—as did the stewardess who probably suspected me of carrying a bomb when she overheard me talk about the plane crashing.

Felix's deadpan expression didn't waver when he tried to console me. "I'm sure you and little Johnny will both survive."

_Well, there's no need to be rude._

* * *

Well? How am I doing? I've reread the previous chapters like five times now, so I'm trying to transition Hannah from being totally dimwitted to being at least slightly capable onscreen. If that makes sense. The other problem is humor. I'm trying to stay away from bad vampire jokes- for now- and yet those seem to be all I can think of. This^ little bit about Johnny was totally random (sorta) except that the idea came from an ex boyfriend of mine who was telling me all about his childhood woes in a way that would've been more heart-wrenching if he could've stopped groping me long enough to finish the story. *shrugs*

OK, this author's note is longer than I'd intended it to be. Darn.

So, final notes, pleasepleaseplease review. I know I've disappointed a lot of my readers by not finishing this sooner, but I will finish it. (IT SHALL BE DONE.) This fic shall remain entirely in Hannah's POV, so we'll see how that goes. And as for the poll I mentioned last time, forget about it. I'll just finish this one first.

Review? Bark. XD


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Yay! Another Chappy! WOOT!

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Ch7

I'd only been to Texas once before when I visited my grandparents in Galveston for a week. It was the first and last time I'd ever met them as they'd both died a few weeks later. Now, driving into the downtown district of Houston, my senses were in overdrive examining the overly crowded and polluted city. Methane gas contaminated the air, making everything seem to waver in front of my eyes. Cross dressers stalked the streets, looking like hunting animals and homeless men sat on street corners, passed closely by purposefully oblivious pedestrians.

It was a scene similar to those of other cities I'd stayed in, and yet, it was different from all of them.

Houston had its own unique flare, its own flavor that refused to be suppressed beneath the layer of grime that blanketed everything. Skyscrapers pushed into the heavens, proclaiming loudly the city's urbanization at the same time that quaint little shops and boutiques whispered sensuality and a proclivity toward tranquility.

We stayed in a suite on the eighth floor of our hotel. The room itself was luxurious, to say the least. I'd never stayed in a room this expensive before—least of all alone with a man. Ultimately, it was a rather odd experience for me, one that I'd soon find myself repeating.

More to the point, I should say that the rooms were luxurious, including both of the bedrooms, the den/living area, and the micro-kitchen. Most importantly was the bathtub that included a Jacuzzi tub big enough to fit three of Felix—with probably enough leftover room for me to squeeze in as well.

The thought almost left me drooling.

Not that I'm perverted or anything.

The only downside was the people—snobby middle class workers that smiled and flirted with my Felix while ripping me apart with their eyes. None of them said a word to me but it was clear that they were all thinking the same thing—namely, _'What is he doing with her of all people?'_

Come to think of it, I still didn't have a change of clothes and walking around in my borrowed tank top, jeans, and sweatshirt that reeked of two days' wear probably wasn't going to earn me any friends. In fact, I smelled so horrible that I thought I saw a homeless person kneeling in the gravel outside cringe and back away. _Oh, excellent._

I still needed to get myself some clothes, and we needed to talk to Felix's contact, but there was no way I was going to do anything without bathing first. I told Felix my plan and he ushered me to the bathroom, murmuring something about getting me clothes so that he didn't join me in the shower.

I told him I wouldn't mind if he did.

I've never seen anyone run away that fast.

The water was warm, slicking over my skin and running over my shoulders in thin rivulets. My hair was drenched and the tiny bottle of shampoo provided by the hotel helped to erase some of the grease and dirt that had accumulated in my roots. I was hesitant to leave the warmth of the stall; everything was so much more peaceful in there, surrounded by steam, than outside, in the real world, where people were missing, possibly dead, and the one man that I felt strongly toward was avoiding me, for a reason that he refused to say.

Eventually though, my prune like fingers were too much to ignore, and when the water began to turn cold I shut off the faucet and moved the curtain aside. Felix had left a stack of clothes next to the towel I'd set aside for myself and I found that the clothes were about my size, if not a bit tight.

He hadn't brought me underwear and I settled for rinsing and blow drying my old pair. The shirt was extremely tight around my chest, loosening a bit around my waist and flaring out toward my hips. The jeans hugged where the shirt flared and cupped my butt tightly. Admittedly, I was looking forward to seeing Felix's reaction to the clothes he'd brought me. I grinned, deviously. Maybe he'd be a bit less inclined to avoid me if I showed off my attributes a bit.

My plans had been foiled. Felix was already gone when I returned to the room and I didn't know where he'd left to, so I couldn't very well follow him. Sighing, I settled in to wait, flipping on the TV in an effort to find entertainment.

I'd never been so bored in my entire life.

There was nothing on any of the five hundred channels, and I didn't feel like charging Felix's account another five dollars to watch some kiddy Disney movies. I even briefly considered turning on the adult entertainment channel, just to see what was playing, but I changed my mind, deciding instead to just surf the internet.

Except that I didn't have my lap top or my phone anymore, so that was beyond the realm of possibility.

After that, I decided that I'd play more cards (that seemed to be my fall back in any situation). Then I remembered that I'd left them at Carlisle's home.

At a loss, the prudent thing to do seemed to be to lay myself down on the couch and take a cat nap, though I wasn't especially tired after my nap on the plane. I couldn't sleep though, so while my body attempted to relax, my mind whirred like a computer, zipping through storage files of memory at 80 miles per hour.

Felix calling me precious girl…Felix, slightly blurry, looking surprised as I called his name in a dream…Felix wishing me goodnight with dawn brushing his features adoringly…Felix standing over a dead body, dripping with blood…

I couldn't dwell on that; Felix walked through the door at that moment, almost as if he knew that I'd been thinking of him.

"_Ciao, dolce._" He smiled, a perfect smile, and my heart practically melted, as though I were under a spell

"Hi…" Ok, even I could recognize how lame that was in the face of his charming masculinity, so I cleared my throat and tried again. "Where've you been?" _You're really striking out here, Haggerty_.

"I thought you might be getting hungry." I finally noticed the bags in his hands, as if he'd gone to the grocery store. Come to think of it, that probably was where he'd gone. I stood to take the bags from him and began loading them into the mini fridge.

Felix had the oddest taste buds I'd ever encountered in another person. It looked like he's just grabbed the most colorful packaging in the store. He'd brought pretzels, pickles, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in addition to Mac 'N Cheese, spaghetti noodles (with no sauce), and two pounds of frozen ground turkey. There were two jugs of orange juice and one of milk, smothered beneath a bottle of lemon juice and a bag of pita bread.

"I guess you were hungry, eh?"

He shrugged, the movement kept to a minimum. "I ate on the way."

The fridge was close to the ground, so I had to keep bending over every time I came to a cold item. By the third time though, I could feel his eyes on me and I wiggled a bit, knowing how hot his hungry gaze could get.

I felt his hands on my hips when I stood back up to my full height, and his mouth rested on my neck while his hands took liberties I hadn't granted (or refused). They traced circles on my stomach and gripped my hips, pressing me closer to his body. At the same time, his lips dragged down my neck, and as I felt his teeth scrape against the skin, suddenly he was gone, the cold air at my back a sharp surprise.

"Felix?"

He was in the corner, his leather coated arms shielding his face from my view. How had he gotten there so quickly? I was beginning to notice that something really was strange about Felix. Then again, most of the people I'd met in the last few days were pretty odd.

"Felix, what's wrong?"

It was depressing really, how quickly he went from hot to cold—wanting me and then running away.

I decided to renew my efforts. I w_as_ going to make him tell me what was wrong—even if I had to beat it out of him.

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This was mostly just a filler chapter. The 'real' plot should begin next chapter when I bring in Demitri and make it a bit more obvious for Hannah's dense self that Felix is...odd for a regular person.

As always, please feel free to criticize or praise. I love hearing suggestions, so if there's something that I could be more clear about, be more detailed, be less detailed about, etc., please please please leave a review and let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** So...HIYA! This chapter is now officially dedicated to winter051094after kicking and screaming and threatening bodily harm if I didn't finish this. I hope everyone enjoys this (though admittedly it isn't my favorite chapter) and as per request, the Italian translations are at the bottom. (Courtesy of Google Translate.)

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Ch 8

It hadn't come as a huge shock when Felix requested that I stay in our rooms when he met his contact. He'd made a few promising arguments that all amounted to him trying to keep me out of danger, and ultimately caved when I told him that either I went with him or I followed a few steps behind. I was getting the feeling that maybe I shouldn't have told him my family was in danger.

Then again, I was glad that he seemed to share the same urgency that had been building up since last night. Just who had my mother pissed off?

His contact turned out to be a younger looking guy, maybe twenty with dark, longish hair and an air of menace. He greeted Felix with a warm smile, or what would have been if he didn't look like he wanted to kill something. Felix introduced him as Demetri, a business associate. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly he did in his line of work as I tried and failed to imagine him in a suit.

"It's good to see you again, Felix. I trust that you were successful."

"I was. My mission is completed. I have a favor to ask of you."

For whatever reason, I was getting the impression that this Demetri person was actually Felix's boss—or at least, someone to be cautious around. They both had the same antiquated way of speaking, and I was starting to think that _everyone_ from Volterra spoke that way.

"I suppose it has something to do with the human quivering behind your back. What do you need from me?"

_Human? Run out of mirrors, lately?_

Felix didn't seem to think the remark was strange, rather he moved on as if he hadn't even noticed the wording.

"I need to find a couple of humans; this girl's parents. They've gone missing, and I need to find them soon."

"And you expect me to help? Why are you so concerned? Unless… You've fallen for the girl, haven't you?"

His tone was outraged, and maybe a bit bemused, though I didn't see why he should be feeling either of those emotions. Frankly, it was annoying me that he seemed intent on discussing me as if I wasn't present.

"Demetri…"

Said stranger's expression shifted into one of mirth and he looked from me to Felix and back again, and I felt chills runs across my spine even as I tried to follow the path of his gaze through his tinted glasses.

"She doesn't know." It wasn't a question. Demetri had stated a fact as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and the only thing I could think was '_Please tell me.'_

And then another thought occurred. _Do I even want to know?_

"You haven't told her yet?"

_Told me what?_

Should I keep quiet? Should I go ahead and ask? Would Demetri tell me whatever it was and end the suspense? Again, did I even want to know?

"Felix, it's not nice to keep secrets. Should I tell her?"

_Please tell me!_

"That is not why I asked for your help. Will you assist me or not?"

Demetri waved his hand, the picture of tranquility. "Relax, my friend. I'll help you in your search, assuming Lord Aro has no objection when I inform him."

Felix nodded curtly, turning to me and gesturing for me to precede him. Before I'd taken more than a step, however, I heard him murmur a low warning to Demetri. "Tell her nothing," he said. "She won't find out the truth about us if I can help it."

I almost missed the words and yet, I was sure I'd heard correctly. He was hiding something from me? My immediate conclusion was about his secret 'mission' about which I knew nothing. Maybe Felix was the killer I'd been so worried about?

But he'd said 'the truth about _us_'. I had to believe that it was something else, but that's where I came to a blank. What kind of secret could keep him from (a) telling me anything too specific about his job, (b) getting too intimate with me as a couple, and (c) doing things without the consent of this 'Aro' person?

Maybe the 'us' he was talking about was his company. That would make sense if he and Demetri worked for the same people, so theoretically, that would make Aro their boss.

So was the company corrupt? But what would that have to do with 'falling for the girl' as he'd so eloquently put it? And what was with his condescending tone at the mention of anything human? His nose had wrinkled every time a little old lady or a small child had passed within five feet of our little street corner.

"You're thinking too hard, _piccola_."

"Why do you say that?"

Felix wasn't looking at me; his eyes were directed in front of us, looking intent on scaring everyone away. "I can tell, these things, _dolce_. Also, you're steaming."

_Very funny…_

I rolled my eyes at him, content to let my inner rambling cease for the moment. I'd still not managed to get Felix to kiss me again, something that I was sorely peeved by. "Why don't you just tell me what you're thinking so hard about then, Felix?"

"I'm not thinking about anything, really."

I stopped walking, crossing my arms in front of my chest and staring with narrowed eyes at the back of his retreating head. It wasn't long before he figured out that I wasn't walking with him anymore, and he turned around to stare at me, confused. The streetlights had turned on long ago, and his eyes looked especially dark, almost black, in the dim lighting.

"What is it, _dolce_?"

"Don't _'dolce'_ me. I thought you were going to stop lying to me, Felix."

"I am not lying, Hannah."

I felt my heart flip with the cadence of his voice, but I couldn't be distracted; this was important.

"Yes, Felix, you are. Right now. You're worried about something, and you aren't telling me. Should I go ask Demetri?"

He was in front of me before I could blink, breathing a bit heavily and leaning down into my face. His fingers gripped my wrist tightly, and I felt a shiver of something like fear run through me, warning me of the dangerous creature in front of me.

For a wild moment, I had the feeling that he'd kiss me. Surely, finally, he was going to give me what I'd been wanting.

"Do not speak to him without me nearby. _Mai fidarsi di lui._ Do you understand?"

I nodded, unable to speak with him glowering down at me. For a moment, maybe I was frightened. He could hurt me, if he really wanted to. But this was Felix! He'd never hurt me intentionally.

Felix released my arms, standing to his full height and looking away from me. Had he seen my fear? He seemed as though he no longer knew what to say to me. I had no idea what to say either. Other people walked around us, apparently not wanting to ask us to move for fear of my escort, yet making the experience even more awkward.

"Why don't we just go back to our room?"

He nodded, again refusing to look me in the eye, and took my hand to lead me back to our waiting cab. The ride back was entirely silent between us, even with the oblivious cabbie playing raunchy rap music. If that wasn't enough to make me feel awkward and ashamed of myself, the cab smelled like sex and old cigarettes. My cheeks flamed at the thought. Why was I even thinking about sex at a time like this?

And why had Felix reacted so violently when I mentioned Demetri? Was he jealous? But Felix wasn't the type to get jealous—he already knew how easily I fell under his control—so what was his real problem? Moreover, why was he trying to make me feel as though _I'd_ done something wrong? Why was I the one feeling guilty for upsetting him? Why did he keep lying to me?

My frustration was building and when the cab parked I exited the vehicle, slamming my door in the process, much to the driver's disgruntlement. Felix probably apologized for me and paid the man extra, but I didn't feel like sticking around to find out. I had a plan to fulfill: get upstairs, lock myself in my room, and give him to silent treatment for the night until he either (a) gave in and kissed me or (b) gave in and told me what I wanted to know.

Apparently someone upstairs doesn't like me very much.

I made it to our floor and to the room before Felix, although I was practically running and he hadn't even broken a sweat (he'd taken the stairs). The problem occurred when I tried to open the door…and remembered that Felix had the door key. He didn't say anything when he opened the door, nor did he say anything when he let me enter first, though I thought I saw a bit of a smile on his lips when he gestured for me to go ahead.

I'm pretty sure he sensed my anger. That, or he just wanted an excuse to look at my butt.

"Would you like anything?"

"I'd like for you to tell me what's going on."

A sigh, and then, "You would not understand if I told you, _dolce._"

_I wouldn't understand…?_

"Oh, I understand perfectly. You don't want to tell me. You think I can't handle whatever it is, don't you? I bet you pity me! You're thinking 'she's just some poor, poor child with a crappy family that I have to deal with'. Well, you know what? If that's what you're thinking, then you can just say—"

"_Essere_ _tranquillo, per favore_."

He was in my face again, but this time he didn't look as menacing. In fact, his eyes seemed calmer—no longer empty and cold but filled with a dark shade of passion. His hand was gentle as he cupped my face, leaning closer—almost letting me touch his lips with mine. His breath ghosted across my cheek before he kissed the corner of my mouth, pulling me up and inward to his body.

"You won't believe me when I tell you. You won't want me anywhere near you. You will be completely _disincantato. Non voglio dirtelo, ma…_ Are you sure that you want to know?"

Of course I wanted to know, didn't I? What could I say if he was a serial killer? 'Oh, that's alright, we can work through your problems.' _Yeah right…_

"Tell me." _I'm crazy, aren't I?_

He looked a bit depressed as he pulled away. Another sigh, and then: "Promise me that you'll listen fully."

"Yeah, sure."

"I am serious, dolce. Non scherzare ció che potrebbe presto ci separano."

"I promise." I crossed my heart as a sign of my seriousness.

Felix led me to the couch and sat me down, only succeeding in scaring me where he'd probably planned to calm me down. "I'm a vampire."

_So much for easing me into the situation._ "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right."

"You did, _dolce._ I am a vampire. I was born in Germany in 1854, but my mother died during childbirth and my father soon after. I lived most of my life in England with my uncle until I was twenty and decided that I wanted to travel. Soon after, I ended up in Italy, near Volterra, where I met a man who eventually turned me into what I am now. He was a deceptively young looking man who disappeared after accidently turning me.

Many years later, after I'd returned to England and discovered my real nature, I found him again. I have to admit that I almost killed him then, for condemning me to a worthless existence such as I'd found, but he led me to the Volturi, and I spared his life. For decades I've been serving them as bodyguard, spy, and enforcer. I don't regret any of this, except that I've lived a very long life and not all of it is filled with good things. You look as though you are having trouble breathing. Should I get you some water?"

_Felix is a vampire. Felix is a vampire. Felix thinks he's a vampire. Oh god, why can't he be a serial killer?_

"I don't need any water." _I need a straight jacket and a long needle._

He looked sad, as though he was a puppy that'd just been kicked. "You don't believe that I am a vampire."

"Would you?" _He's perceptive._

He smiled, only slightly, but it was the first smile I'd seen on his face for several hours. "True, but perhaps it requires a leap of faith."

"I suppose." _When did I start considering the possibility that he could be telling me the truth? Vampire? It's not possible!_ I refused to acknowledge the reminder that I'd dreamed of him with blood covering his face and hands. There was no such thing as vampires.

"Hannah, please remember. Think back over the time that we've been together."

He wanted me to remember? Remember what? What did I know of vampires? They didn't go out in sunlight, but I'd walked with Felix beside the airport at noon. They didn't sleep, but he'd _said_ he'd slept on the plane. They didn't eat anything either, but Felix had eaten, hadn't he?

No, he hadn't. In the time we'd been together, I hadn't seen him sleep or eat anything, and he'd barely touched the coffee at the IHOP. So, could it be true? The possibility of vampires?

"You're asking me to believe that you're a mythical creature that… Wait, do you… I mean…" How am I supposed to ask if he wants to drink my blood? He had grazed my neck earlier. Maybe biting was a part of sex for him? And how did one go about becoming a vampire?

The questions kept coming at me, but Felix's expression appeared strained. "I drink human blood."

I think my heart stopped when I heard his words. No, I'm sure it did. I'm also sure that I could've screamed, had he not thoughtfully placed his hand over my mouth to stop me. "You…drink…" I couldn't even finish my sentence when he released me.

_Oh god. Oh god. Oh god._

"Did you kill all of those people? The ones in the hospital?"

His eyes darkened even further, if that was possible. "I killed two; the vampire hunting innocents in that place and the human who'd found out about us."

"You're saying that was your mission; to hunt down a vampire?"

He nodded once, seemingly pleased with my speedy conclusion. I was still wrapping my head around the idea of him killing _anyone,_ let alone another vampire. "He'd gone rogue and broken the laws of the Volturi. I was assigned to stop him and end him. I told you, I am an enforcer."

"Gone rogue, as in…?"

"Killing indiscriminately is against the law of the Volturi, our ruling class."

"So you were just giving the death sentence to a criminal?"

Again, his answer was a nod. I could almost accept that; after all, humans gave humans the death penalty for killing humans. Vampires were just less strict about it. It made sense in an odd sort of way. Then again…

"Why did you kill the man?"

"He knew about us immortals. That is forbidden for humans."

"Felix…" I was human and he was telling me…

_I'm about to die._

"You have a choice, _piccola_. You can become one of us or… I will have to kill you."

_Oh. My. God._

"What the hell? Don't you think you could've given me that choice _before_ you gave me the story? What kind of an ultimatum is that? What if I don't like either of those choices? What kind of selfish person gives an offer like that?"

I'd stood up and begun pacing, beyond pissed at this point. He'd told me his life was lonely and worthless. He'd told me that he lived by sucking blood, possibly killing people, and his job was to kill vampires and humans for whatever reason the 'Volturi' threw out, yet he wanted me to _be like him? I don't think so!_

And yet…

It meant I would be with him forever. I wouldn't die. I could find my mother and sister and protect them from whoever was trying to kill them. I would have my entire life—till the end of the world—to spend exploring the world and—best of all—getting to know the man that I was pretty sure I'd fallen in love with.

But did the perks outweigh the cons? Did I really want to base my decision off of my desire to be with a guy—something that reeked of a move my mother would've made—and how did I even know whether or not I'd really fallen for him? How was I supposed to know?

What should I have done when my only alternative was death?

I officially had no doubts. Everything he'd said so far made more sense than anything else I'd told myself so far, and I couldn't keep lying.

"And if I say yes? What happens then?"

At first, he seemed as though he wouldn't say anything. "Then I will bite you."

"And that's how you turn me? Just one bite?"

"Yes, piccola. It only takes one bite."

I cringed; I hated the sight of blood. "Does it hurt?"

"The pain is incredible."

I barked out a laugh. "I appreciate the honesty, but that's probably not the best way to get me to agree."

He smiled gently, almost sadly at me. "We would have come to this point eventually; I only wish it had come later. I do not want you to regret your decision, whatever it is."

It's not like the promise of excruciating pain enticed me or anything, though it did solidify my decision in my head. _I'm dying right now, even as I sit here and deliberate. There's no point to any of it. I want to stay here. I don't want to die yet._

Finally, I nodded affirmatively, my mouth set in a grim line as I closed my eyes and stretched out my neck, awaiting the sharp prick of his teeth, only to be met by a soft chuckling. Opening my eyes, I saw his, glistening black, staring right at me. "The process takes a few days, _dolce_. We should probably wait."

I shook my head, feeling my platinum hair swish across my back. "I can't wait, Felix. I could die tomorrow and then we'd lose out, all because I hesitated."

"You're rushing, _piccola_. _Io non voglio che tu mi odi._ Please be sure."

"I am sure, Felix. We need to do this."

His only reply was to kiss my lips sweetly, silently, without urgency or hesitation. His skin was soft against my own, his taste exquisite, and all that was left for me was to close my eyes and surrender to the bliss he promised to give.

* * *

_Piccola_- "small"

_Dolce_- "sweet"

_Mai fidarsi di lui-_ "Don't trust him."

_Essere_ _tranquillo, per favore-_ "Be quiet, please."

_disincantato-_ "disenchanted"

_Non voglio dirtelo, ma-_ "I don't want to tell you, but..."

_Non scherzare ció che potrebbe presto ci separano_- "Do not joke about that which might soon separate us."

_Io non voglio che tu mi odi_- "I don't want you to hate me."

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So what'd you think? For those of you who aren't into reading rated M material, I suggest you skip the next chapter as it will be entirely that. The story rating is going to change, but only for #9, and you won't miss anything but citrus-y goodness if you don't read.

But I want you to. just sayin.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authour's Note:** Yay for speedy updating!

_Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight._

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Ch 9

My thoughts were getting hazier by the moment and each kiss he pressed on me assaulted my senses like little fireworks hidden in each of my nerve endings. His lips grazed my chin at the same time I felt a hand grip my shirt and drag it over my skin.

"Are we really going to do this now?"

He stopped kissing me long enough to answer. "I want you to know the pleasure I can give you in addition to the pain that will eventually come."

That almost made sense, but all I could think of was how I was already weak-kneed and panting from a few kisses and the bare minimum of friction between our bodies while Felix didn't even look as though he was breathing hard.

He bent his head to my now exposed chest, having already pushed my bra over the skin that it was supposed to support. _I guess vampires don't need to breathe. That may come in handy later…_

I had no time to pursue that train of thought because at that moment he wrapped his lips around one soft pink nipple and tugged lightly, swiping his tongue against the peak. My head tilted back a bit without my conscious consent and I felt more than I saw when he removed the rest of my clothes from my body. In fact, he moved so fast that I couldn't even follow him with my eyes.

I suddenly found myself naked, standing in front of his kneeling form with my breasts level with his eyes and him staring hotly at me. _I'm so embarrassed… What do I do now?_

Felix didn't seem to care that I was feeling awkward and embarrassed with no clue how to proceed; he seemed content to keep staring at me until my skin melted.

"Felix…" _I can't take much more of this…_

"_Sei bella…_"

My cheeks tinted pink at the compliment. _Beautiful, eh?_

Granted, I'd been complimented before, but it was usually something either racy like 'sexy' or an exaggerated 'You're gorgeous!' No one except family had ever said that I was beautiful; especially not while staring at me naked. And it wasn't like I wasn't at all experienced; I'd fooled around with boyfriends in the past—though nothing to this extent.

"Felix, please…" _Please do something._

Finally, he stood, grazing his hands against my skin and letting them travel leisurely over my heated flesh. Without warning, he swiftly gripped my legs and draped them over his hips, easily supporting me in his arms and began walking toward one of the bedrooms. I hooked my feet around his legs, just in case, and let my arms rest around his neck, content to linger there in his embrace.

_Forget that he might be a vampire. Forget that he killed people. Forget that this could all be some elaborate prank to humiliate me. Forget everything and for this second, just be happy—even if it makes me miserable in the morning. Just be._

Maybe mom had it right all along.

He lay me down on the edge of the bed, hovering over me and pressing kisses against my skin, inciting the fire from earlier with the smallest of touches. His lips settled on mine and his hands found my chest again, pinching and tugging on the nipples enough to make me arch my back, seeking more of his tantalizing pleasure. My own hands found and gripped his shoulders as he moved down to attend to my nipples with his mouth, trailing his fingers to my legs and lifting them, baring my core to his roving fingers.

"Felix!"

My fingers were threaded in his hair, pressing his face closer to my chest—though he could've pulled away at any time—and his digits pressed into me, exploring the wet cavern of my pussy and sending shivers up my spine. I could feel them moving in and out of me quickly, fluidly, and something was building up behind them—a unique kind of pressure that had never come this quickly.

"Oh my—!"

His mouth silenced my moan and I could feel his teeth against my tongue when he opened his mouth.

It took a little while, but I managed to come down from my mini-high, still not completely satiated. That was the fastest I'd ever come and yet… I didn't like that he was obviously holding himself back.

I wanted my Felix in me.

The question was, could I make him do what I wanted?

He had lain down next to me, his arm wrapped protectively around my waist and pressing me closer into his body. His eyes were closed, but I didn't think he was sleeping. _Vampires don't sleep, do they?_

I glanced down long enough to see that our little…activity had aroused him enough to tent his designer pants. My hand began to rub him through the soft fabric and his eyes popped open. _I knew he wasn't sleeping!_

"What are you doing, _dolce_?"

I didn't bother answering him. There wasn't a guy alive who wouldn't want this, right? My shaking fingers unzipped his pants and freed the erection within, allowing me to push him fully onto his back, swallowing his cock in my hand and bending over to lick the head. His soft moan encouraged me to continue and I spread my legs a bit wider, taking long, slow licks along the shaft and using the wetness to aid the movements of my hand.

Felix rocked his hips slightly, pushing more of his pulsing length into my mouth and I swallowed as best I could, resisting the urge to gag when the head hit the back of my throat. Continuing my repetitive movements up and down along the shaft I kept lathering his cock with my tongue, enjoying the soft grunts and groans from above me.

On a particularly deep thrust in which the head entered the top of my throat, he gripped my underarms and tugged me up his body, leaving me splayed across his chiseled chest.

"I didn't get to finish." I pouted down at him, hoping he'd let me pick up where I'd left off. His eyes had gone almost completely black, and his hands were like vices locked on my arms. I'd experienced this thrill a few times before, but there was another element to the danger warnings coursing up my spine at a breakneck pace. He could kill me at any time, possibly without remorse—and yet here I was, laying on top of him, completely prone and completely vulnerable.

"I can't…control…"

I smiled for his benefit. I was more scared now than I'd ever been before, but he was right; I needed to do this—for both of us. Like it or not, first choice or not, I was going to be a vampire soon, a process long and painful. The last thing I needed was either of us regretting my change.

"Then let me take control."

He didn't say anything, merely stared at me through wide, almost panicked looking eyes. _I trust you, Felix._ He wouldn't hurt me more than necessary. I knew that. I also knew that I wanted this now; there was no way I was going to be in the mood after the change.

His grip slowly loosened and his eyes, now pitch black, never left mine. A little while later I'd managed to straddle myself over his hips and, fearing that he wouldn't be able to control himself, decided that it would probably be best to skip ahead to the next logical step.

The only problem was that I didn't think he was going to fit.

My mouth was one thing, but down there? Logically I knew where his _thing_ was supposed to fit, but getting it inside was going to be a whole different problem.

His hands rested on my hips, guiding me closer, and I felt the tip brush up against my slit, sending a tingle of awareness through my body. He must've seen because he again pushed my hips over his own, pushing up to let the head rub against my clit in a way that was entirely ecstasy-inducing. My nipples, hard and aching, floated over his face when I arched into the caress of his lower body, and he took one of the small peaks into his mouth right as his cock entered me.

I was right, it was a tight fit. His girth stretched me apart until it felt like I was going to tear and then he pushed and the dull, uncomfortable pain turned into a sharp prick and a low throbbing that had me gasping for air. His grip on me tightened and every inch of muscle laying beneath me tensed, unmoving. My bangs covered my eyes and I pressed my hands to his chest, trying to regain my breath. He said nothing, and neither did I for a few moments. Then, as the pain subsided a bit, I relaxed, accidently accepting more of him into my body.

I couldn't look at his face yet, for fear that the intensely quiet moment would be ruined, so instead, I shifted my hips forward and then back, feeling my lips stretch into a smile at his small grunt of approval. Not entirely sure, but relatively positive, I started to pull myself away, dragging his cock out of my channel before impaling myself again. This time, it didn't hurt nearly as bad and I could almost ignore the pressure in favor of the friction my motion caused between us.

I tried circling my hips again, hopeful that the movement would relieve some of the tension for both of us. In a way, it worked; but it also added another sensation to my over-stimulated body, one that I enjoyed quite a lot.

Felix had reached his limit. His hands squeezed the skin on my butt, forcibly bringing me up and down again, this time harder than the first. I was fully impaled on him, but he didn't leave me time to enjoy the sensation. Again, his hands pushed me up and away, then brought me back to meet the thrust of his hips. I wasn't complaining though. All of the wild strength beneath me had finally been unleashed and my brand new lover was exciting in a way I couldn't have dreamed.

His thrusts upwards and into me picked up speed and momentum, turning me into a ball of jelly above him and all I could do was hold on to the shirt still bunched high on his chest, trying my best to meet him halfway. My nails tried to dig into his skin, but I only made my nail beds bleed.

The pleasure kept building, though and it felt as though he was going to tear me in two when suddenly everything swirled in front of me and I was beneath him, my legs spread as far as they could go with him gripping my thighs and pounding his piece into me. My vampire was still holding back though, aware somewhere within him of my humanity.

He felt so good inside me that it hurt, and the pleasure-pain ate at my insides as I tried desperately to match his inhuman pace. My moans seemed to urge him on and his grunting became more frantic, his thrusts frenetic. His hard length kept hitting the same spot inside me, making me arch and scream as he rammed me so fast that I felt like I was vibrating. And suddenly, everything peaked. Perhaps it was the particularly hard thrust he gave me, or the sharp prick of his fingernails as he neared his release. Maybe it was his tongue in my mouth as he bent down to kiss me, but suddenly I was coming forcefully, violently, holding onto him as I felt myself tighten over his cock.

Just a few seconds later, something warm and sticky shot into my womb, painting my insides. At the same time a pair of sharp K-9s bit into my neck, tearing through the flesh like butter, and in my surprise and newfound satiation, I could do nothing but scream.

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**Author's Note: **Please review!

_Dolce_: "sweet"

_Sei bella:_ "You are beautiful."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took me so long; winter holiday threw me for a loop. Next chapter will introduce the Volturi and give rise to some interesting questions, so stay tuned (did I really just type that? -.-').

Enjoy!

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Ch 10

The pain was excruciating. It felt as though every inch of my body was on fire, burning through my skin. My heart was pumping forcefully, as though it was trying to escape my rib cage. It hurt more than I would've thought possible, and it hurt so much that I could barely breathe.

I'd been lying here for hours, maybe decades. The only thing I could sense was fire and pain. Every inch of my body was screaming defiance, leaving me sore and unable to move—unable to open my eyes. There was someone that I knew I should be thinking of—someone who'd done this to me.

All I could think of was the pain.

_Someone please help me!_

No one was there to help me, though. I was alone in the darkness.

_Why? What's going on? Where is he?_

The fog cleared somewhat, though the fire stayed, and I remembered the events leading up to this torture. Him kissing me…My legs straddling him…Him burrowing into me as if seeking my warmth…His fangs sinking into my neck.

_"The pain is incredible."_

_No kidding._

I had to bear this, though, for however long it lasted. It couldn't last forever, could it? But it already had. It'd been forever. He would save me. He got me into this mess. I swore to kill him when I could make myself breathe. I promised to kiss him if I managed to survive this. Every breath was getting harder and harder to gulp in and the fire had slowly started receding from the periphery of my senses. My toes and the tips of my fingers were numb, as if they'd been cut off, and I would have been grateful for the severed feeling if it hadn't made the fire in the rest of me feel even hotter.

_It hurts. I can't breathe. I'm scared._

Voices began whispering to my left, and I could almost decipher what they were saying.

"Hannah…please…"

_That's me._

_What's he saying?_

"Hannah…wake up."

_I'm awake!_

"Hannah, I am so sorry."

_Who are you?_

"She'll be fine, eventually."

_Who's that?_

"You say that but she hasn't moved in days. What if I drank too much?"

"You said that she screamed at first, yes? She'll be fine. I heard the Swan girl did the same. Carlisle thinks that it is due to prior knowledge of the change."

_Carlisle?_

"Even so…"

"Since when do you worry over humans, Felix?"

_Felix?_

"I only worry over her."

"And her mother; of course, that is why you've been having me search for this girl's family for the past few days, yes?"

"It bothers me. Did you tell Aro about her talent?"

"No, I did not. You do know, however, that you will not be able to keep it a secret forever, especially not if she is in any way consciously aware of her ability."

Everything was getting clearer, bit by bit. How long had I been laying here? The conversation ended and I was alone again. A soft rustling to my left, then nothing. Something cold and hard attempting to steal my warmth.

More voices came and went. It felt like centuries later that I became unable to feel the rest of my body, but I could certainly feel my heart, and it _burned._ I wanted to claw it out of my chest to make it stop the slow, unsteady thumping within me. The sound resounded within, echoing against my empty insides.

Maybe it was getting slower, though. Maybe my heart was finally, thankfully, about to give out and perhaps I was really about to die. The thought couldn't scare me; Hell couldn't be any worse than this feeling. But then, here I was, laying in a bed of fire, wishing for death. Any kind of change would be better than this, right?

_Thump…thump…thump…thump…_

I could count to ten between each beat.

_Thump…_

Maybe I could finally remember how to breathe.

_Thump…_

Surely he was worried about me. I'd been laying here for forever, practically.

_Thump._

What could say when this ended? How would I tell him anything if I died? Did I really want to die?

_Thump…_

_I love you, Felix._

Silence. There was no heart beat. I wasn't breathing. I wasn't on fire. Most likely, I was dead, and therefore, I must be a ghost. I was ultra-aware of everything. Felix beside me, his eyes burning holes in my sockets. The air conditioning was still on, blowing a cool breeze across my face. The silken sheets brushed against each of my skin molecules in delicious friction that almost made me arch and rub myself against it like a cat in heat.

I opened my eyes and practically blinded myself. Everything was brighter than before, and hardly anything looked familiar. This wasn't where I'd gone to sleep. This wasn't where I'd given my body and, unwittingly, my heart to Felix. I could let that go for now, though. Felix was staring at me, his eyes a deep black color that I'd only seen right before he'd bitten me.

I turned my gaze to the rest of the room, examining the bright blue walls and the odd crème carpeting. At the same time, my head felt bigger on the inside than it had before. And it took me a moment to realize that somehow, I wasn't breathing.

Felix bit me.

_Felix bit me._

_So what, am I not dead?_

I finally looked at him again, at his pale, diamond skin and the dark eyes framed by thick lashes. He stared at me, not saying a word, and I opened my mouth to tell him how happy I was to see his face and how overjoyed I was that the fire had finally disappeared. "Did you turn me?"

That hadn't been what I'd intended to say, but it was too soon for declarations, anyway.

A nod of his head was all the confirmation I needed, as I could already feel the changes in my body. Nothing hurt anymore; but then, everything around me was clear, as if I'd just shoved my hand through frosted glass and now I was looking at the world unfettered by silly human eyes.

_Human. I'm not human anymore._

"So, do I have to drink blood now?"

Another nod was his only reply, and he continued to stare at me as if I was the creature from the black lagoon.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head at me, lifting his lips in the barest hint of a smile—though it looked more like a grimace—before speaking. "_E 'solo la fine della nostra felicitá._" His mouth once more sank into a grim line before I noticed the presence of Demetri in the doorway.

"Do not be that way, Felix. I am sure that Aro will be quite understanding."

Felix turned back to me, noticing my obviously confused expression. "I have news, _dolce_. Your mother and sister have left Texas. They haven't found a location yet, so we don't know where to head them off. In the meantime, it has been requested by my superior that I return home, to Volterra." His eyes shifted away from me for a moment. "That same superior has requested to meet you."

"Can't you just tell him we're low on free time?"

Again, the grimace appeared to crease his beautiful countenance. "I'm afraid that my superior is…something of a king among our kind. We cannot refuse."

_Wonderful. A king! He couldn't have told me any of this sooner?_

I had that feeling again, the same one as before that made me believe he was hiding something from me. I had no clue what he felt he needed to hide; as far as I was concerned, the worst secrets had already been put out into the open. Still, that feeling continued to bother me, and Demetri's sly smirk did not help to alleviate my worries _at all_.

Our few belongings were packed and we'd left the hotel within the hour, taking a taxi to a small, seedy looking bar in the downtown district. "Felix… Why are we stopping?"

He looked at me with that paining expression again, refusing to speak at first. "Are you thirsty, _piccola_?"

_Now that you mention it…_

I could've downed a keg of something, assuming that I wasn't actually drinking beer. I needed a drink; my throat was parched and I licked my lips, wetting them enough to bother me before nodding urgently, afraid to open my mouth, lest I drool.

"We'll stop here, then." I followed him out of the cab and almost missed him telling the man to come back in a half hour.

He led me down an alley, deserted except for a few rats and crows. _I don't think they keep a cooler back here._

He stopped suddenly, letting me run into his back. "You need to feed." He gestured toward an older man, obviously homeless with a ragged air about him that seemed to permeate the air. His eyes were glazed as if he'd been suffering from senility for years.

"You want me to…drink from him?"

Another nod for my trouble and he pulled me closer. The man stank more than anything else I'd ever encountered—though that could've simply been my new and improved sense of smell—and he gazed at us as a child might, all innocent curiosity as he tilted his head to the side.

"Usually, each vampire has their own blood preference. For now, I think we should get you used to drinking—we'll sort through your preferences later."

He wanted me to kill this poor, defenseless old man? How could I possibly…? "On second thought, I'm not really all that thirsty. I'll meet you out front." He grabbed my hand before I could flee to the front of the building—effectively stopping me from ignoring this situation.

"You need to feed, or you will die."

_Well, that certainly puts a damper on things. And he does smell sort of…yummy._ Felix gently tilted the old man's head, careful not to break his neck as I descended, feeling as though I was watching myself through a smoke screen. That smell was just…delectable. I could feel my gums swelling and something was pulsing beneath my surface—something that desperately craved blood. _I want it… I need it._

My teeth sank into the delicate skin on his throat, parting the folds and letting that delicious liquid burn through my mouth. _Oh god, yes._

It felt like a drug. I was drugged. I'd lost control of my body as my limbs moved to pull him closer, snapping something that sounded like bone in the process. Felix's hand was over the man's mouth, muffling his agonized groans and my lips and tongue sucked greedily at his neck, hungry and beyond all reason.

And then, his heart stopped. The absence of sound was like a wakeup call, breaking me out of my blood-induced trance. _Oh god; what have I done?_

My body shook, even though no tears fell and Felix covered the dead man, turning to hold me while I attempted to cry, shaking all the harder when I found no tears emerged.

A little while later, Felix carried me back to the front of the bar and onto the backseat of the waiting cab. Though the driver looked at me strangely, I didn't say anything to him and neither did Felix. "To the airport." The driver nodded, looked at me again, and then pulled into the meager traffic.

"Hush, _piccola_. Everything will be fine, so long as we are together_. Lo non permetteró a nessuno di farti del male_."

My convulsive shaking stopped a bit later, leaving me glad that I didn't have to breathe and I let my head rest on him while I tried to relax. "Do we always have to…kill them?" I spoke quietly so that we wouldn't be overheard, but loud enough that Felix could understand.

I felt his lips brush my forehead gently. "Yes, _dolce._ If we do not, then they would all be immortals." I took a deep breath, more out of reflex than anything else, before I leaned up and kissed him, urgent for some kind of reassurance that I wasn't _completely _different—that some part of me was still the same. He let me kiss him for a moment before taking control, pressing against me as he never had before. _That's right…he can't break me anymore…_

Our kiss deepened, tongues coming into play and I felt his hands gently sweeping across my skin. Someone loudly clearing their throat shattered the mood however, and when I looked up I discovered the cabbie impatiently holding the door to the cab while someone else waited outside for a ride. I smiled sheepishly and waved, climbing off of Felix and out of the car, waiting for him to do the same—a difficult task, considering all of his bulk. He pulled our one bag with him, containing two (fake) passports, two changes of clothes, and a hair brush.

He held my hand in his paw throughout the entire check-in process and when we climbed aboard the plane, he kept contact through my skin for the extent of the trip. It was almost comforting, except for the constant reminder of what I'd done just a few hours previous.

Volterra was strange. The entire city was set squarely in the middle of a large plateau, the cities rising and falling like they were part of the land and lacking in anything like what downtown Houston had been. It was almost quiet, though Felix assured me that things got louder when they had any of their many festivals. Apparently, the citizens of Volterra liked to party. Go figure.

For my part, I'd changed into the second set of clothing that Felix had gotten me—ignoring the smell and where the fabric had probably come from—to look presentable for his boss, Aro. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous. Felix had told me not to worry, but I still felt like I was being brought home to meet his parents or something, as if I needed their approval. Felix hadn't said anything about that, but then…he didn't say a lot of things that would be helpful to know sooner rather than later.

I was led into a normal looking office building and then downstairs to the basement. There was a long, corporate looking hallway and Demetri and Felix walked silently, their footsteps hushed to my sensitive ears. My lover turned back to smile at me once, looking as though he was trying to reassure me about something. The whole thing made me immensely curious; what would the king of vampires be like?

One exotic looking secretary and an elevator ride later and we were standing in another corridor, this one outlined by stone walls and lit by candlelight. Felix no longer looked at me, and I couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or not.


	11. Chapter 11

Mmkay, so...short chapter, relatively big development. We've got like 4-5 chapters left, I think? Hmmm. We'll have to see, I suppose. Honestly, I don't have an explanation for the long wait on updates. I will say I'm sorry that it takes me a while to pump these things out, but my muse goes on lots of vacations and if I do anything without her... it is often quite sad (see chapters 1-4...) Anyway... enough self-recrimination and problem avoiding for now. Here's chappy 11, and I'm hoping it's well received. I wrote part of it right before the AP English test today...and part during US History... So yeah. Enjoy? Review? Pwease? :3

Chapter 11

There were three of them, finely dressed, elegant and pale, sitting atop gilded thrones with velvet cushions. Two brunettes and a blonde, they all shared the same ruby red eyes as Felix, something he'd shown me on the plane. My own eyes were the same color, in fact—they would remain so until I needed to 'feed'.

I had to suppress my shiver at the feel of their cold gazes drifting over me, like an unearthly presence, and I desperately hoped they hadn't seen the action—or taken offense.

"My dear Hannah; it is good to finally meet you! We've heard so much about you from Demetri." The middle one—the most flamboyant looking—waltzed forward with a melodramatic air, sweeping my hand into his own finely veined hand. "Ah, I see. What a marvelous treasure you are, my dear. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Volterra." I felt Felix tense up even more behind me, as though this man—this _vampire_—had just sentenced me to life in prison.

Although, in a way, maybe he had.

The rest of the meeting was…interesting, certainly. Aro and the rest were very formal, and a bit odd. Pleasantries were exchanged, and Felix did his best to not look at me throughout the entire visit. Nothing seemed too out of place—at least, not that I could put my finger on—except for the longer-than-necessary period in which Aro had held first Demitri's hand, then Felix's, and then, lastly, mine.

"You are certainly a rare gem, my dear. I look forward to having you here with us."

His words unsettled me, and if I was not anxious before, I certainly was after that cryptic comment. Demitri kept his icy smirk in place, and the rest simply looked bored with the whole affair. Felix and I were sent to his rooms, what turned out to be a surprisingly large suite looking out over Town Square.

I'd be lying if I said that staying in the same room with Felix, alone, for more than five minutes didn't have me thinking of what we'd shared together only a few nights ago, and wanting to repeat the experience—hopefully refreshing my memory and making the memories clearer. Already my human memories were fading—as if I weren't already having trouble remembering my sister, let alone my mother. More than anything, though, I was exhausted beyond all belief and my mind craved sleep, even though my body felt completely energized.

Felix seemed to understand; he pulled back the covers on his comfy looking, king sized mattress, gesturing me forward with a small, slightly teasing smile. "Come, _dolce_; lay with me."

I allowed myself to be swallowed in his embrace, smothered by warmth that should have been comforting, but somehow felt…forced. "Felix?"

His thumb traced soothing patterns down the length of my arm, his skin strangely warm for once. I suppose that must've been because our temperatures were now the same, though. "What is it?"

"Do you… dislike me now?"

His hand stopped and he turned me partially, a frown knitting his brow. "Why would you have that impression?"

"I just feel like you preferred me as a human, rather than a vampire. You've been acting a bit cold since I woke up." 

He grimaced, shaking his big, beautiful head. "No, _piccola._ If I have been cold, it is because I have been distracted, and for that I am sorry. There are certain circumstances that I should tell you about… things that have been happening around you for some time."

A knock at the door interrupted him, and he scowled. "Ignore it," I whispered, but it was no use. We both knew that whoever was at the door knew we were inside and could probably hear everything we said to each other. Instead of staying with me, as I'd desired, he stood and opened the door, revealing Demitri, smug as ever, holding two silver chalices.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He smiled, and I had the feeling that he enjoyed making a nuisance of himself.

Felix growled, the sound somewhat unexpected. I stood there, mute, watching as the two of them stared each other down. Honestly, they looked like two wolves, circling each other, ascertaining the threat to their respective territories. Demitri handed Felix one of the chalices, the latter accepting it grudgingly. He then turned and handed me the second.

"If you would, please."

Felix smiled tensely, reaching out to grasp my hand in comfort, before taking a sip from his glass. I mimicked him, tasting the sweet, unidentifiable liquid as it flooded my mouth and swam down my throat to rest in my stomach. I could feel my teeth expanding, the gums splitting, and when Felix lifted his mouth, his own teeth were stained red.

_Blood._

Demitri retrieved the glasses, switching them, before handing them back to us. Again, we each took a drink, and this time, when I put my nose down to the glass, I could smell a distinctly _human_ smell. As abhorrent as I found the thought, my brain was clouded, overwhelmed by the deliciously tangy scent, the warm, soothing taste…

_I hate this_. And still, I kept drinking, finishing it off within moments. Felix and Demitri were staring, their expressions differing where Demitri was satisfied and Felix was… guilty? It didn't make sense, but I decided to question it later, wiping my mouth with chagrin.

It was a few hours before they both returned to fetch me, Aro having summoned them to his quarters. I wanted to have a look around, but Felix had warned me against it, afraid that I'd run into some of the more unsavory characters lurking around.

It appeared that Aro wanted me to train. When Demitri informed me of this, I thought he'd meant physical training, but that was only part of the strangeness. Apparently, they were preparing for some sort of war. I not only had to prepare myself—in a number of ways—to fight off immortal attackers, but I also had to practice what Aro had termed as 'Dream-Walking'. It sounded like something I'd read in a novel a long time ago.

He'd informed me, via Demitri, that the dreams I'd been having were a product of my suppressed powers, something that a select number of immortals could tap into. His hypothesis was that my dreams were, in fact, real, and—with some proper training—I'd be able to use them while awake. He also said that this 'proper training' could take years, centuries even, especially for a newborn like myself.

Over the next few weeks, Felix had returned to ignoring me, and with his long-standing order to stay put, except when accompanied by him or Demitri, I was left with the impression that the whole town was filled to the brim with ghosts. And through our forced contact with each other, Demitri and I came to be, if not close friends, then at least close acquaintances. Felix was partially responsible for this, and so I had no sympathy for his expressed upset with the development.

My training, be that as it may, consisted of Felix hiding in obscure parts of the city and underground labyrinth and me meditating, trying to find him. By the end of two weeks of this, I decided that they were all out of their minds.

Aro remained frighteningly optimistic.

Meanwhile, Demitri had had no luck locating my missing family. This, paired with my lover's absence, left me feeling inadequate and incredibly lonely—and inconceivably bored. It was in this state that I found myself wandering the streets of Volterra, absently taking in the sights.

The city, as I'd recently discovered, was beautiful: urban, without being overbearing; peaceful without being nondescript. Set down on a high plateau, it was only a few minutes run, vampire speed, to reach the water, and from there, the sky stretched out in all its inky, winking glory.

"You really shouldn't be out here alone."

I startled, surprised to find Demitri behind me. "I'm aware. I just couldn't stand being closeted in my room anymore."

"And so you decided to deliberately disobey the command of your_ padrone*___in order to come out here, to be alone, closeted in the open air?"

"Heh. I guess it doesn't make too much sense when you say it out loud." He was right of course; Felix would be furious when he found me missing. It wouldn't take much before he had me locked in a broom cupboard, 'for my own protection.' I would've thought being a vampire was protection enough.

Apparently not.

_Not for Felix, anyway._

"Have you had any luck finding my mother and sister?"

"No, not yet."

I nodded, unconvinced but having already predicted his answer. As horrible as the suggestion seemed, I felt as though he probably knew and simply hadn't been ordered to tell me.

Demitri seemed to sense my thoughts, because he exhaled wearily and spoke quietly in my direction. "He really does care for you, you know. I've never seen him so attached before." He looked to me as though he would've cried if he'd been able, but no tears fell from his eyes, and his breathing—so superfluous—came out deep, smooth, and even.

I wondered, briefly, if he too had once loved someone; if he'd ever felt the attachment he seemed to think Felix felt for me, or that I felt for him.

"I'll say this now." Here, he turned his full body toward me and, as fleeting as the wind itself, all sense of companionship disappeared with his suddenly tense shoulders and cold, angry eyes. "Hurt him; betray him in any way, and I will separate your head from your shoulders and burn the pieces.

Hardly a beat passed before he was again facing the water, and he relaxed as though delivering death threats were an everyday occurrence for him. It probably was. I shivered, although I didn't feel cold, and turned away from him.

"Wonderful view, isn't it?"

I laughed. Such an absurd comment dissipated every feeling of animosity inside of me. "Yeah. Yeah, it's nice."

We stood there until the sun rose, unmoving, not speaking. It felt natural, somehow, as if we'd been doing it for years. Demitri—smarmy, arrogant, merciless vampire, Demitri—felt comforting.

"I should probably go back to my room now."

"Yes, you should. Although, I'd like to try something before you do. Do you mind?"

So relaxed, was I, that I didn't bother refusing. He approached me, moving slow for an immortal, and slid his hands over my eyes. "Be calm. I want you to focus on the one person, _piú__importante_. The one you love—be they Felix or otherwise. Breathe. You are sleeping. You are searching. You want them with you, yes? Find them. Use your legs."

Demitri's voice faded and in its place the waves crashed and far away a car honked. My breathing returned and this time, it felt natural, _real_, as though I couldn't possibly survive without it. Each inhalation felt like it lifted me into the air, weightless, as though I could simply levitate straight to the moon.

_Find the one you love._

_Felix?_

Nothing. Silence. Stillness. Breathing. Harsh words. Foul words. Worry. Pain.

_Felix, where are you?_

Relief. More worry. Frustration. Rage.

_Felix, I need you._

Confusion. Hope. Worry. Sadness.

_Felix, I love you._

Happiness. Love. Need.

_Felix?_

"_Piccola?_"

He looked like an illusion, all wavy and unfocused. His smile though, that was as clear as ever. I felt his love and still that nagging sense of disappointment that I'd been feeling for weeks.

"You've done it, _dolce_. You're Dream-Walking."

_Felix?_

As quickly as he'd appeared, he left, leaving me alone in gray fog that permeated everything, chilling me to the bone. Weren't immortals supposed to be immune to this kind of discomfort? It almost felt like I was human again, except that I could feel my heart, dead in my chest.

No beat. No heart. No life.

_Life._

_Felix._

_Felix, I love you._

Nothing. Even the fog remained still, as though aware of my inner turmoil. For a moment, I was afraid that I'd never see anything ever again, but then, suddenly, everything was clear, and I could once again feel Demitri covering my eyes with his palms, his breathing in sync with mine.

_What was that?_

But the answer was clear. Abundantly clear.

I'd just found my way home.

* Padrone means master, or owner (according to Google Translate). Demitri is referring to the blood ritual that was mentioned (not by name) as a sort of bonding/marriage ceremony between the Volturi. Because Felix (and many of the other Volturi) come from times when marriage meant that the man was the dominant role, having completed the ceremony basically means that he is her master, husband, and all around chauvinist. Hence why he looked so guilty when it was happening. (Notice he didn't say anything; the lousy arshloch.) No one explained this to Hannah, which is why this hasn't been mentioned yet, but she'll get the full explanation later on, when she meets up with Carlisle.

So... yeah? No? Tell me. Be honest. Don't hold back. Or be rude, 'cause that's just mean. Does my typing in fragments add emphasis to my point, or is it just annoying? Is Hannah just too Mary Sue, still? I was trying to slowly work that out of her, but I feel uncomfortable about that transition, like maybe I'm moving too fast. Or too slow? We're also about to go through some quick changes from New Moon and Breaking Dawn (I think...yeah, it was). You'll see what I mean later on.

Anyway, ask questions in reviews and I'll pm my replies. I THINK my PM system is working now. I dunno, fanfic has been pretty wonky lately, as far as letting me sign in. Weird. Anyhoo... translations, anyone?

_dolce-_Sweet

_piccola-_ Small

_padrone-_Master/owner

_piú__importante-_Most important


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